ATLANTA — A man was arrested by Atlanta police on Tuesday morning and accused of deliberately setting a fire outside of the Federal Reserve building in Midtown.
A spokesperson for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta confirmed the incident and said no injuries were reported and that the building suffered only minor smoke damage.
The man, who was not identified, was detained by federal agents at the scene before being taken into custody by responding officers, Atlanta police said in a news release. Investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Atlanta Fire Rescue were also involved.
The man was seen walking up to the main entrance of the Atlanta Fed building just after 9:30 a.m., pouring lighter fluid and starting a small fire, police said. Photos from outside the stately marble building showed an abandoned gasoline container.
A video shared on Instagram and reposted by ATL Scoop shows the man standing beside a small fire on the sidewalk. He can be seen setting down two gas cans close to the flames before the video cuts off.
“We are thankful for the quick response of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and Atlanta Police Department, as well as from our Atlanta Fed law enforcement and facilities teams. We are assisting in their investigation,” an Atlanta Fed spokesperson said.
