The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
FERGUSON, Mo. — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for trying to set fire to the Ferguson Market on Nov. 24, the night it was announced that officer Darren Wilson would not face any charges in the killing of Michael Brown.
The indictment, which was made public Thursday, alleges that Antonio Whiteside “maliciously attempted to damage and destroy, by means of fire and explosive materials” the Ferguson Market at 9101 West Florissant Avenue.
Whiteside was in custody Thursday night.
“The St. Louis (County Police) Bomb and Arson Unit and agents with ATF have been working on multiple criminal investigations in the aftermath of the Ferguson rioting,” said U.S. Attorney Richard G. Callahan. “This indictment is but one result of that collaboration, which is an ongoing effort and I expect will produce additional indictments at both the state and federal level.”
In December, St. Louis County Police circulated a picture of a man squirting what appeared to be lighter fluid on the floor of the market. Callahan would not comment beyond what was in the indictment.
A woman eventually put out the fire and kept the market from burning down. Although the market was looted and damaged, it remains standing. Several other businesses in the area were completely destroyed.
The Ferguson Market was where Brown allegedly committed a strong-armed robbery shortly before he was fatally shot by Wilson.
The decision by a St. Louis County grand jury to not indict Wilson sparked widespread protests, along with looting and arson in the days that followed.
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