Name: Alabama man had 11 Molotov cocktails 'ready to go' at U.S. Capitol riot
Brand: montgomeryadvertiser.com
SKU: montgomeryadvertiser-com-34
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Alabama man had 11 Molotov cocktails 'ready to go' at U.S. Capitol riot

preview

Montgomery AdvertiserView CommentsA 70-year-old&nbsp;Alabama man had 11 Molotov cocktail devices&nbsp;"ready to go" in his truck when he was arrested during the on Wednesday.&nbsp;Lonnie Coffman, of Falkville, was arrested on gun and ammunition charges Wednesday night near the Capitol after a pro-Trump rally escalated into an insurrection inside the nation's Capitol building.The bombs were constructed from Mason jars, golf tees and cloth rags. After his arrest, Coffman told authorities they contained gasoline and melted Styrofoam, an explosive mixture that "causes&nbsp;the flammable liquid to better stick to objects that it hits upon detonation," according to court documents.A federal prosecutor&nbsp;likened the mixture to "homemade napalm" on Friday.Police found Coffman's truck, parked on a block behind the Cannon House Office Building and the Library of Congress, in a bomb squad sweep related to a separate pipe bomb scare in the area. An officer flagged the red pickup after spotting the handle of a gun in the cab.&nbsp;DC RIOT:After addressing the pipe bombs, which investigators do not believe are connected to Coffman at this time, the bomb squad returned to Coffman's vehicle.&nbsp;Inside were the 11 Molotov cocktails, an M4 Carbine assault rifle and one handgun, the&nbsp;bombs in the truck bed under a fabric cover. Police later found two additional guns on Coffman, one each in his left and right pockets.&nbsp;Coffman faces firearm charges and a possession of a destructive device charge.&nbsp;Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. Attorney in D.C., said Thursday the Molotov cocktails were "ready to go."Coffman's ex-wife, reached by phone on Thursday, said she didn't know "anything" about Coffman's travels to D.C. or his subsequent arrest but declined to comment further. The two officially divorced in 2019 but were in occasional contact.&nbsp;Messages left with other Coffman family members and Coffman's appointed attorney have not yet been returned.&nbsp;A federal judge on Thursday granted a prosecution motion for temporary detention pending Coffman's preliminary hearing, slated for Jan. 12.&nbsp;A charging affidavit filed Friday revealed Coffman was actually apprehended trying to return to his truck, despite a significant police perimeter surrounding the area.&nbsp;Investigators believe Coffman parked the truck around 9:15 a.m. and left the vehicle, based on surveillance footage cited in his charging affidavit.&nbsp;Authorities responded to the area shortly before 1 p.m., after reports of possible bombs at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters and the National Republican Club, which are located within a three-block area. U.S. Capitol police established a perimeter of the area, which happened to encompass Coffman's vehicle.&nbsp;While sweeping the area, two U.S. Capitol police officers spotted what appeared to be a handle of a gun in the truck bed, according to the affidavit. Police ran the Alabama plates and found the truck was registered to Coffman.About 6:30 p.m., a&nbsp;woman drove Coffman up to the 400 block of First Street Southeast, a block away from Coffman's parked truck, around 6:30 p.m. Coffman told officers at the scene he was trying to get back to his parked vehicle.&nbsp;"The man asked officers whether they had located the bombs, which officers initially understood to be a reference to the components to the destructive devices located in Coffman's truck, but later understood to be a reference to the secure perimeter that had been set up by law enforcement, which perimeter had kept Coffman from returning to his car earlier," the affidavit states.&nbsp;Coffman allegedly&nbsp;identified himself and his truck.&nbsp;Officers asked Coffman if he "would step out of the vehicle so that they could assist him further with locating his vehicle."Coffman had a 9mm handgun on him and two sets of keys to the truck.&nbsp;"Coffman was later asked about his earlier statement to officers in which Coffman had asked officers if they had located bombs," the affidavit states. "Coffman denied that he was referring to any bombs that he had knowledge of, and he explained that he was simply referring to his understanding based on the perimeter that had been established, which had kept Coffman from returning to his pickup truck. At this point, the United States Capitol Police does not attribute the explosive devices at the National Republican Club and the Democratic National Committee Headquarters to Coffman."Coffman was arrested Wednesday amid a pro-Trump rally that turned violent on Wednesday, leading to an insurrection inside the nation's Capitol and at least two deaths.One&nbsp;woman&nbsp;— an Air Force veteran who supported Trump and professed extreme conspiracy beliefs on social media&nbsp;— was shot and killed by Capitol police while attempting to crawl through a broken interior door near the House chamber, where elected representatives and staff were sheltering in place. A Capitol police officer died on Thursday evening from injuries sustained in the riot.&nbsp;Three others died due to medical emergencies, authorities said, In a statement on Thursday, Greeson's family said he was a supporter of President Donald Trump and was excited to be in D.C. to support him, but "was not there to participate in violence or rioting, nor did he condone such actions." A review of Greeson's social media activity, however, indicates posts&nbsp;in favor of a "war," a call to "storm" the U.S. Supreme Court and frequent advocacy for an armed insurrection of some kind.&nbsp;The Greeson family said he died of a heart attack sometime on Wednesday.&nbsp;More:In contrast, Coffman does not appear to have maintained any recent public social media footprint. He has no previous criminal record, according to state and federal court data.Coffman's alleged cocktails were not the only incendiary devices on scene in D.C. on Wednesday. Amid the chaos, authorities reported that two IEDs were found near the Democratic&nbsp;and Republican National committees shortly before the Capitol breach.&nbsp;Sherwin on Thursday confirmed the bombs, identified as pipe bombs by the FBI, were real and were safely destroyed by law enforcement. The FBI is offering $50,000 for information identifying at least one suspect caught on camera in a mask, hood and gloves.&nbsp;Sherwin on Thursday would not rule out any possible charges on the table for rioters arrested during the insurrection or in the days after, as the crowd breached the Capitol to halt the certification of electoral votes in the presidential election.&nbsp;Prosecutors say more arrests and federal charges are expected.&nbsp;Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Melissa Brown&nbsp;at 334-240-0132&nbsp;or mabrown@gannett.com.View Comments

Montgomery AdvertiserView CommentsA 70-year-old&nbsp;Alabama man had 11 Molotov cocktail devices&nbsp;"ready to go" in his truck when he was arrested during the on Wednesday.&nbsp;Lonnie Coffman, of Falkville, was arrested on gun and ammunition charges Wednesday night near the Capitol after a pro-Trump rally escalated into an insurrection inside the nation's Capitol building.The bombs were constructed from Mason jars, golf tees and cloth rags. After his arrest, Coffman told authorities they contained gasoline and melted Styrofoam, an explosive mixture that "causes&nbsp;the flammable liquid...

Alabama man had 11 Molotov cocktails 'ready to go' at U.S. Capitol riot

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS