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Judi Lynn

(160,682 posts) Tue Feb 12, 2019, 11:08 PM Feb 2019

FBI launches hate crime investigation into Planned Parenthood fire

Source: Associated Press

Agency says a person entered Missouri health center Sunday morning and intentionally set a fire

Associated Press
Tue 12 Feb 2019 19.19 EST

A fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia, Missouri, was intentionally set and is being investigated as a possible hate crime, the FBI said in a statement Tuesday.

The agency also said it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the fire early Sunday.

The FBI said surveillance video shows a person wearing dark clothing entering the Planned Parenthood-Columbia health center about 4.05am Sunday. When that person later walked out of the clinic, smoke could be seen coming from the building, according to the agency.

No one was inside the building when the fire was reported. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire before Columbia firefighters arrived. Firefighters told police the fire was “suspicious in nature”, Columbia police said.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/12/planned-parenthood-fire-fbi-hate-crime-missouri

6 replies

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Highlight:

FBI launches hate crime investigation into Planned Parenthood fire (Original Post) Judi Lynn Feb 2019 OP

What comes to mind is, why did it take a day and a half with this kinda evidence? mpcamb Feb 2019 #1

They check for the source of the fire rpannier Feb 2019 #3

4 am visit followed by smoke in a facility known to be subject to deadly threats. mpcamb Feb 2019 #4

Why is this a hate crime? MosheFeingold Feb 2019 #2

Your definition is too narrow. LanternWaste Feb 2019 #5

Sure I wasn't trying to list all the categories MosheFeingold Feb 2019 #6

mpcamb

(2,881 posts)

1. What comes to mind is, why did it take a day and a half with this kinda evidence?

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Feb 13, 2019, 12:00 AM

Feb 2019

rpannier

(24,350 posts)

3. They check for the source of the fire

Reply to mpcamb (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 13, 2019, 03:50 AM

Feb 2019

Then ascertain what ignited the fire
If the building is large enough, they have to make certain there aren't multiple locations where the fire started

mpcamb

(2,881 posts)

4. 4 am visit followed by smoke in a facility known to be subject to deadly threats.

Reply to mpcamb (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 13, 2019, 09:57 AM

Feb 2019

MosheFeingold

(3,051 posts)

2. Why is this a hate crime?

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Feb 13, 2019, 12:03 AM

Feb 2019

I thought those were limited to race, creed, national origin and veteran status.

It’s obviously arson/terrorism or the like but I do not see hate crime.

Has the statute changed?

LanternWaste

(37,748 posts)

5. Your definition is too narrow.

Reply to MosheFeingold (Reply #2)

Wed Feb 13, 2019, 04:15 PM

Feb 2019

Your definition is too narrow.

Hate Crimes (on the books) includes (but is not limited to) sex, ethnicity, disability, language, nationality, physical appearance, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation

Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, mate crime or offensive graffiti or letters

https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2015/topic-pages/incidentsandoffenses_final.pdf

MosheFeingold

(3,051 posts)

6. Sure I wasn't trying to list all the categories

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #5)

Wed Feb 13, 2019, 04:20 PM

Feb 2019

I just don't see how this particular arson was tied to any of them.

More like some kind of domestic terrorism.

(I was a prosecutor a million years ago -- I see a crime, but no hate crime, unless attack on abortion rights somehow now fits a category. I'd think this would be more likely to fall under some kind of terrorism statute.)

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