A federal grand jury has indicted an East Bay academic on charges he firebombed a University of California police cruiser in Berkeley this summer, federal officials said.
At about 5 a.m. on June 1, Casey Goonan, 34, of Oakland and Pleasant Hill, walked onto the UC Berkeley campus with a shopping backpack and 6 Molotov cocktails, threw them under a police vehicle and set them on fire, based on the indictment. The charges were announced Friday in a press release from Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.
The automobile caught fire, authorities said. It didn’t explode, however the rear seats, gas cap and trunk were badly damaged, making it a complete loss. No one was injured.
Goonan, who based on the Daily Northwest received his doctorate in African American studies from Northwestern University in 2022 and was charged with two counts of intentional damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Goonan was arrested on June 17 in reference to 4 arson attacks on the UC Berkeley campus this month, including the firebombing of a automobile.
His lawyer Jeff Wozniak to KQED Goonan will contest the fees, saying the case has been politicized due to the defendant's involvement in anti-war protests.
Pro-Palestinian activists have claimed responsibility for several arson attacks on campus in online posts. Another arson attack was reported earlier this month.
Goonan is scheduled to seem in court on September 17.
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