Construction equipment set on fire connected to public safety training center protest arsons

ATLANTA — Police believe that a fire at a construction site is connected to the ongoing protests for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach reported live from the scene on Memorial Drive, where multiple FBI, GBI, ATF and Homeland Security agents arrived to investigate.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said that Atlanta fire and police received a call around 2 a.m. Wednesday from a neighbor who saw the fire.

Firefighters found two pieces of construction equipment had been set on fire.

“We are very fortunate that a fuel tank containing a significant amount of fuel did not explode,” Schierbaum said. “Homes easily could have been set on fire had that fuel tank exploded.”

Schierbaum said they believe this is the latest arson attack from a group protesting the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. One of the construction companies building the center is also building townhomes at the Memorial Drive site.

“What we’ve normally seen is that within a few hours, this group will take credit on their site for what occurred today,” Schierbaum said. “This is a group that is not ashamed of their desire to impact the safety of Atlanta and frequently take credit for the criminal acts.”

Police are searching for two suspects in Wednesday’s fire, but do not have a description.

A task force investigating the arsons have offered a reward up to $200,000 for any information that leads to an arrest.

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