A former Obama administration official has secured bail for a lawyer accused of firebombing a police cruiser during George Floyd unrest in New York City, according to a court transcript and multiple reports.
The judge told the accused that if Rizvi signs the bond “and you don’t do everything you’re supposed to do and you don’t appear when you’re supposed to, they will be jointly and severally liable to the United States Government for a quarter of a million dollars.”
He added that if Rahman fails to show up for her hearing, she could be charged with jumping bail, which carries a mandatory prison sentence.
Police set off in pursuit and arrested Rahman, along with Colinford Mattis, also an attorney, who drove the escape vehicle. Inside the minivan, police found several precursor items used to build Molotov Cocktails, including a lighter, a bottle filled with toilet paper, and a liquid suspected to be gasoline.
Rahman and Mattis, both highly educated attorneys, have both been charged with causing damage by fire and explosives to a police vehicle, and could each face up to 20 years behind bars.
A detention memo cited by the New York Post mentioned the prestigious educational backgrounds of both defendants, saying, “They knew their acts endangered the NYPD officers and protesters on the street, as well as their own futures, and the defendants were undeterred.”
“These defendants are charged with attacking the New York City Police Department while its Police Officers are risking their lives to protect the Constitutional rights of protesters and the safety of us all,” stated U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue. “No rational human being can ever believe that hurling firebombs at Police Officers and vehicles is justified.”
“The consequences for conducting this alleged attack, and any similar activity planned for the future, will be severe,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney.
