An Oklahoma City grand jury has indicted a man accused of starting a house fire with two Molotov cocktails after a late-night confrontation turned violent. Donshai Braddock now faces a federal charge that carries up to a decade behind bars.
According to court documents cited by KOCO, the homeowner said he answered a knock at his door around 1 a.m. on Feb. 27 and saw a man he knew, later identified as Braddock, standing outside holding a lit Molotov cocktail. The Oklahoma City Fire Department had responded to a house fire near Northwest 10th Street and Rockwell Avenue that same night.
The homeowner described the device as a plastic bottle filled with liquid and fitted with a cloth wick. Court records say Braddock then walked away from the residence, and moments later the homeowner heard a thump against the exterior of his home.
Homeowner Moved the Device to Stop the Fire From Spreading
When the homeowner went to investigate the noise, he found a plastic bottle containing liquid believed to be gasoline, with a burned cloth wick secured through the lid, according to court documents. He moved the device away from the house in an effort to keep the fire from spreading further.
Surveillance video from the scene corroborated the homeowner's account, court documents state. Investigators say the confrontation didn't come out of nowhere — the homeowner told them Braddock had been involved in a physical altercation with people in the home next door earlier that same evening.
Threats to Return and 'Kill Everyone'
After the fight, Braddock was told to leave the area. Court documents say he responded by threatening to come back and “kill everyone.”
Braddock was charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison, per the same court records.
Separate NW OKC Fire Sent Six Residents Fleeing
The Northwest 10th and Rockwell area was also the scene of a separate mobile-home fire, according to News 9, which reported that six residents evacuated after flames broke out around 11:30 p.m. on a Thursday. Crews arriving on scene found multiple trailers on fire, the station reported, though no injuries were reported. Investigators told News 9 they were examining the scene and interviewing tenants to determine a cause.
