Man charged for attempting to firebomb Congressman’s office

(The NorthStar News & Analysis) – The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri has charged Eric King, a 28-year-old Kansas City, Mo., man with throwing two Molotov cocktails into the congressional office of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a member of the 42-member Congressional Black Caucus.

No one was in the office at the time and there was no substantial fire damage.

U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson charged King with using a dangerous instrument to oppose, impede, intimidate and interfere with a federal official engaged in the performance of his duties.

King allegedly used a hammer to break an office window before lighting and throwing the Molotov cocktails at the building around 3 a.m. on September 11. The hammer was found at the scene.

A video camera filmed King walking around the building’s parking lot before pulling two bottles and a white ignition source from his backpack. The first device bounced off the side of the building. He ignited the second device before throwing it at the window, according to the U.S. Attorney.

He then ran away.

In a statement, John Jones, Cleaver’s chief of staff, said this was the second such incident within the last three years. Jones did not explain if Molotov cocktails had been thrown at the building years earlier.

It is not known if law enforcement officials believe King was involved in the first incident.

Cleaver represents Missouri’s 5th Congressional District.

This article originally published in the September 29, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.