A 24-year-old South Carolina man is facing 20 years in prison after setting a Tesla charging station — and himself — on fire earlier this month in protest of President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO and Trump adviser Elon Musk, federal prosecutors announced.
Daniel Clarke-Pounder is accused of throwing five Molotov cocktails at the Tesla chargers in North Charleston, South Carolina, on March 7. Prior to setting the chargers and himself on fire, Clarke-Pounder spray-painted "F--- Trump" and "Long Live Ukraine" in red paint in a charging station parking spot, according to prosecutors.
Then he proceeded to set himself on fire, witnesses said.
"Witnesses advised that the suspect had accidentally caught their own back on fire while throwing the devices," the initial police report said, according to WCBD Channel 2 in Charleston.
It's not clear how seriously Clarke-Pounder was injured by the flames, if at all.
"While we will defend the public's right to peaceful protest, we will not hesitate to act when protest crosses the line into violence and mayhem. These kinds of attacks have no place in our community," Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Brook B. Andrews said in a statement. "We must remain united in our commitment to safety and respect for all, regardless of political differences."
Clarke-Pounder was granted $10,000 bond during a hearing in federal court on Monday and will be released to his family under home arrest, WCIV Channel 4 reported.
A manifesto found on Clarke-Pounder, which referenced accused healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione, was also released during the hearing, according to the report. Clarke-Pounder wrote, "We will not stand idly by" in his manifesto, which expressed frustration with Trump and the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency under Musk.
Mangione, who awaits trial in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, purportedly wrote, "We cannot sit idly by and watch as innocent lives are lost and communities are torn apart" in his manifesto.
Clarke-Pounder was arrested Thursday and arraigned in federal court Friday on charges of arson of property and interstate commerce.