In a case that wraps up events from a politically charged protest last summer, Michael Snow Jr., a 25-year-old from Durham, North Carolina, has received a sentence for his actions during a demonstration at Union Station. As reported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Snow was handed down four months of probation, 40 hours of community service, and must pay $525 in restitution for the destruction of an American flag, a piece of U.S. government property. On July 24, 2024, this flag was set on fire amidst a crowd chanting, “Burn that sh–.”
The sentencing, which was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., falls under the jurisdiction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP). In a plea agreement on February 11, Snow accepted guilt for a charge of destruction of government property valued at less than $1,000. Court documents reveal that on the day of the vandalism, a group had a permit to protest, and during the demonstration, other flags were pulled down, graffiti was sprayed, and when the officials tried to arrest vandals, their attempts were interfered with by rioters.
This protest caused damage to various federal properties and resulted in an estimated $11,282.23 for cleanup and repairs by the National Park Service. Videos from open-source and surveillance showed two individuals responsible for lowering an American flag from its pole in Columbus Circle. Snow grabbed the flag, attempted to light it on fire, and upon failing, he called for “a better lighter.” After someone supplied him with charcoal lighter fluid, he and an unidentified accomplice managed to ignite it. The day after the event, Snow’s identity was revealed through images circulated on the social media platform X, eventually leading to law enforcement matching a photo with his driver’s license…