A tense scene unfolded outside the Oklahoma City Police Department's downtown headquarters on Thursday when a Molotov cocktail was hurled at a man in a wheelchair, police said. The flaming bottle sparked a small fire on the pavement, and the man in the wheelchair managed to move himself out of the way before the flames could reach him. Detectives quickly moved in, taking a suspect into custody at the scene, and officers reported no additional injuries.
Police account
According to KFOR, police identified the suspect as Emery Alexander. Investigators told the station that Alexander walked up to the department on Main Street, threw the burning bottle that started a fire on the ground, and then tried to push the man in the wheelchair back toward the flames before officers stepped in. The report states that detectives arrested Alexander outside the police department after the incident.
Scene and response
The confrontation played out outside the department's downtown headquarters. City records list the Oklahoma City Police Department's main headquarters at 700 Colcord Drive in downtown Oklahoma City. Officers and detectives stayed on scene while fire crews put out the small blaze and cleared the area, according to the early account.
Legal context
Molotov cocktails are incendiary devices that can bring arson or explosives-related charges under state or federal law. Federal guidance notes that such devices are often treated as incendiary or destructive devices in criminal statutes. Prosecutors typically consider whether there was a victim and what the suspect intended when deciding on charges, factors that can increase the severity of potential counts, according to Congress.gov.
What's next
Police say detectives have the suspect in custody and plan to forward the case to prosecutors for charging decisions. According to KFOR, investigators are continuing to look into the motive and circumstances surrounding the incident.
