George Floyd Protests: Chicago Man In ‘Joker’ Mask Allegedly Set Police Car On Fire, Arrested

A man in Chicago hiding behind a ‘Joker’ mask was caught on camera Saturday (May 30) allegedly igniting a police vehicle in broad daylight during George Floyd protests. Police were able to track him down and arrest him after two days of manhunt Tuesday (June 2).

Timothy O’Donnell, 31, was linked to the incident with the help of a “Pretty” tattoo that was seen across his neck. O’Donnell, who admitted being the person behind the mask, was charged with arson, Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing federal prosecutors.

A bystander who filmed O’Donnell allegedly involved in the act turned in the video to police, the publication reported, citing a criminal complaint. The video appeared to show O’Donnell wearing the mask and holding a lit object, which he then placed into the gas tank of a California Police Department (CPD) vehicle, prompting it to catch fire.

Federal prosecutors have also cited a photo in which O’Donnell allegedly was seen handling the gas tank. In another photo, the man who was alleged to be O’Donnell was seen sitting on the ground with his mask still on, leaning against a lamppost as the vehicle burned. In a follow-up image, O’Donnell seemed to be posing with the burning vehicle, and the tattoo seen in the image matched with that in the photo released by CPD.

His arrest came after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home in the 700 block of 19th Place. The cops recovered a mask from his bedroom identical to the photographs.

According to Fox News, the FBI special agent who was in charge of the investigation also closely examined the video that showed O’Donnell’s purported conduct.

Police were deployed to the area in response to the reports of “various malfeasances and unrest” brewing over the death of George Floyd, the unarmed African-American man, who allegedly died at the hands of law enforcement on May 25.

The CPD vehicle was parked near the 200 block of North State Street when it was set alight. Prosecutors said O’Donnell waived his Miranda rights and came clean about being the man behind the mask.

He is likely to face five to twenty years in prison if convicted.