Man accused of setting APD precinct on fire in July 2023 arrested, Atlanta officials confirm

ATLANTA — City of Atlanta leaders announced the arrest of a man who was charged in connection with an arson investigation.

Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta Fire Rescue Chief Roderick Smith and Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said early Thursday morning, 30-year-old John Robert Mazurek was taken into custody in Atlanta.

According to investigators, Mazurek was charged in connection to an arson investigation that began in July 2023 after eight police motorcycles were destroyed with explosives at an APD precinct.

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At the time of the investigation, firefighters found multiple motorcycles on fire in a parking deck and evidence of “incendiary devices.” Photos show that the flames simply melted the motorcycles.

Schierbaum added that at the time of the fire, there was a police officer inside the building.

These people are threatening members of the Atlanta City Council, they’re threatening county commissioners, city employees, and employees of private businesses and their families,” Dickens said Thursday. “They do not want Atlantans to have safety. They do not want Atlantans to feel that safety. They do not care about order. They want chaos. They use misinformation and technology to attempt to recruit others into their violent cause. They have a destructive agenda.”

“The attack utilized extremely dangerous, homemade incendiary devices to set on fire and completely destroy eight police motorcycles,” Dickens said in July. “Thankfully, no one was injured. As shocking as this is, this was not an isolated incident.”

At the time of the precinct fire, officials confirmed that Atlanta Public Training Center protesters took credit for the fire. Dickens confirmed that the training center will be fully operational by the end of 2024.

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Schierbaum added that the precinct fire was one of over two dozen acts of arson that have happened around Atlanta in recent months and that they are all under investigation.

Mazurek was charged with one count of arson.

Authorities have not said if Mazurek was involved in any of the other investigations.

Anyone with information regarding the fires is asked to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477.

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