Gabriel Agard-Berryhill, 18, has been charged with arson by federal authorities in Portland after he was caught on video launching an explosive device at the Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse.
A Portland man has been charged with arson after throwing a large explosive device at the Hatfield Federal Courthouse during a protest on July 28, 2020. Investigation by @USMarshalsHQ and @ATF_Seattle. Read more: https://t.co/UTh2KnA4k5 pic.twitter.com/ImmuQMBbhm
— U.S. Attorney Oregon (@USAO_OR) July 31, 2020
On Tuesday night, TPM's Ian Miles Cheong spotted that the young man was wearing a riot vest apparently purchased for him by someone claiming to be his grandmother.
Antifa granny left a review of the vest on an online vendor along with a photo of Agard-Berryhill wearing it. "Apparently the guy who threw an explosive at the federal courthouse in Portland has been identified in a review of the vest his grandma bought for him to riot in. You couldn't make this up," Cheong tweeted.
Apparently the guy who threw an explosive at the federal courthouse in Portland has been identified in a review of the vest his grandma bought for him to riot in. You couldn't make this up. pic.twitter.com/t0niw3boUN
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 28, 2020
Antifa granny's review said: "I got this [vest] for my grandson who’s a protestor downtown, he uses it every night and says its [sic] does the job."
“No legitimate protest message is advanced by throwing a large explosive device against a government building. Mr. Agard-Berryhill’s actions could have gravely injured law enforcement officers positioned near the courthouse, other protesters standing nearby, or himself. I applaud the ATF agents and US Marshals Service deputies who worked quickly to identify Mr. Agard-Berryhill before he had an opportunity to hurt others,” US Attorney Billy J Williams said in a press release.
"The violent opportunists engaged in dangerous acts of violence, such as arson, need to realize there will be grave consequences. Serious crimes of this nature go beyond mere property damage to the courthouse and endanger people’s lives," said Russel Burger, US Marshal for the District of Oregon.
The press release went on to say, "ATF investigators reviewed social media posts from the night of the explosion and located videos of the incendiary object being thrown. The individual depicted throwing the object, later identified to be Agard-Berryhill, was a young, Caucasian male wearing a green colored vest, camouflage pants, and a mask. Investigators observed the person in other protest-related videos posted online wearing the same vest and attempting to hold a shield in front of a naked woman."
The US Attorney's office confirmed that investigators found the review of the vest with the photo of Agard-Berryhill and were able to match it to his Facebook page.
