A woman attempting to torch the Martin Luther King Jr. birth home was stopped by alert bystanders. The Atlanta, Georgia, home is a National Park Service unit, and has been closed to public access since November for repair and renovation work. The actions of four “good Samaritans,” says the National Park Service, “helped save this home that gave birth to a monumental legacy nearly a century ago.”
Thought she was watering shrubbery
On Thursday evening two filmmakers visiting from Utah noticed a woman in front of the King home. She was dressed completely in black. At first, they thought she was watering shrubbery. But when the woman ran up the steps of the landmark and pulled open the screen door, they got suspicious. Asked what she was doing, the woman didn’t respond. Instead, she poured a liquid out of a five-gallon container onto the porch. She then ran down to the lawn and grabbed a lighter.
At this point, one of the filmmakers recognized what was happening and blocked the woman from returning to the porch. She walked away, while both men yelled for help. Two off-duty New York City police officers who were there to visit the home chased after the woman. They caught and restrained her until local law enforcement arrived.
The would-be arsonist’s act was never completed. Fire officials sent a hazmat team to clean up what turned out to be gasoline. In addition to the bushes and porch, gasoline was poured on the windows of the Martin Luther King Jr. birth home.
A short time after the woman was captured, her family arrived on the scene. They said she was a 26-year-old military veteran who was suffering mental health issues. Authorities confirm she was being sent for a mental health evaluation prior to booking.
Close call at Martin Luther King Jr. birth home
The entire matter was a close call. “If the witnesses hadn’t been here and interrupted what she was doing, it could have been a matter of seconds before the house was engulfed in flames,” fire chief Jerry DeBerry said in a report carried by the BBC News agency. “It was really about the timing and the witnesses being in the right place at the right time.”
The Park Service issued this statement about the matter. “We at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park express our sincere gratitude to those who promptly intervened and averted a potential tragedy at Dr. King’s Birth Home yesterday. Their quick action helped save this home that gave birth to a monumental legacy nearly a century ago.
“We also extend our sincere thanks to Mayor Andre Dickens, the Atlanta Police and Fire Departments, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and others for their swift responses and ongoing collaboration.”
The statement added, “We are dedicated to maintaining the safety and sanctity of this historic site, ensuring that it endures as a place of inspiration and reflection for all. We appreciate the community’s ongoing support and remain steadfast in our mission to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
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Thank God! MLK Jr prevented the USA from entering into a race war. Without him, there would have been many more deaths Rights currently recognized as being due to the Civil Rights movement.
That house is one of many historically significant places that we were happy to visit. This a good example of being vigilant and taking appropriate action.
Yikes! Very glad that the house was protected, both for its great historical significance, but also because a close friend lives nearby and the fire could have easily spread endangering many others. That is a beautiful part of Atlanta.