SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 29, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A man charged in the May 30, 2020 destruction of a Salt Lake City Police car has been sentenced to a year of home confinement.
Following the home confinement, Larry Raynold Williams Jr. faces 24 months of supervised release.
Williams was an Airman First Class at Hill Air Force Base at the time he was arrested in August of 2020 at his West Haven residence.
The May 30, 2020 Salt Lake City incident at which the police car was burned began as a peaceful protest of the in-custody death of George Floyd, who died shortly after a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck, cutting off his air supply, for 8 minutes 46 seconds.
The peaceful protest in Salt Lake City transitioned to violence after rioters took over.
“During the riot, a Salt Lake City police officer, driving a police vehicle, became boxed in and immobilized by surrounding protestors,” a Utah District Department of Justice statement says.
“Fearing for her safety, the officer fled from her patrol car. Her patrol vehicle was subsequently overturned, vandalized, looted, and then set on fire. Video footage from the event shows individual rioters using fire and explosives to damage and destroy the police vehicle.”
According to the complaint, video footage from the afternoon of May 30, 2020, shows a man later identified as Williams holding white fabric while another man used a lighter to set it on fire. Williams, dressed in a black Nike hoodie, black Nike sweatpants, black shoes, and a black gas mask, then was seen throwing the burning fabric into the overturned police car, the statement says.
Investigators subsequently identified the gas mask worn by Williams as an M50 Joint Service General Protective Mask. Clarified photographs of Williams wearing the mask revealed lettering on its attached M61 filter canister, written in what appeared to be white marker, which stated, “TRNG ONLY.” A lot number was also observed on the canister, according to the complaint.
Markings on the gas mask were consistent with markings applied by HAFB.
“According to the complaint, serial/lot numbers were documented for each inventoried item. The lot number for one of the gas canisters assigned to Williams was identical to the number observed on the gas mask as depicted in pictures taken at the riot.
“Williams was also observed unmasked at the riot. Law enforcement officers were able to use several photographs to identify Williams.
