Man charged with arson says he tried to douse flames on burning police car

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SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man charged with arson in the burning of a Salt Lake City police car during a protest over the death of George Floyd told a federal judge Tuesday that he was trying to put out the fire.

LaTroi Newbins, 28, said he used water bottles to extinguish the first small fire that broke out in the overturned patrol car at 400 South near 200 East on May 30. He said he then doused rolled-up poster board with water and tried to put out a second fire but the flames were too big.

“I wasn’t down there trying to vandalize anything. That wasn’t the purpose,” he said.

But assistant U.S. attorney Drew Yeates contends that the paper Newbins tossed into the flames wasn’t wet and acted as “kindling” to increase the flames that burned the car to the ground.

“He put himself in danger. He put other protesters and rioters in danger. He put other first responders in danger,” Yeates said.

The arguments came during Newbins’ initial appearance in U.S. District Court after being arrested and charged with arson last week. The hearing was held via video conferencing because of the coronavirus pandemic. Newbins appeared from the Weber County Jail.

Newbins is one of two men charged with arson in the torching of the police car. Yeates said prosecutors intend to file charges against three others.

After hearing nearly two hours of testimony, Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead decided to release Newbins to home confinement on June 11 pending trial, though he said it was a “close call.”

The judge imposed a long list of conditions, including Newbins live somewhere other than with his wife and three young sons due to a 2017 domestic violence charge that was dismissed. Newbins, who has anxiety and depression, must also undergo a mental health evaluation, go to counseling, submit to drug tests and look for a job or start school. Newbins said he has been unemployed since 2016 due chronic back problems.

Pead said he’s not sure whether Newbins tried to extinguish the flames or add fuel to the fire.

“I’ve struggled with what to do here,” he said.

Newbins’ actions at another protest two days after the violent demonstration on May 30 weighed in favor of his release.

On June 1, Newbins was credited with helping deescalate a tense standoff between protesters and police by using a megaphone to encourage the crowd that had gathered to go home peacefully.

Defense attorney Darwin Overson said a text message between Newbins and others also show he tried to defuse the situation on May 30. Newbins didn’t start the car on fire and wanted to keep the demonstration civil so its message wouldn’t get lost.

Overson showed in court a text exchange between Newbins and a friend.

“You put the fire out my ninja,” the friend texted.

“Yes I had a roll of wet paper that threw into the fire. But it was too late it was already burning hella,” Newbins replied.

Yeates argued that although Newbins’ actions on June 1 were praiseworthy, it doesn’t excuse what he did two days earlier. He questioned why in one moment he put the fire out and in the next added fuel to the flames with rolled-up paper. Newbins also stood on top of the police car and posed for a selfie next to it, Yeates said.

“This is an individual with a history and that cannot be made up for by one good act the day after the arson,” he said.

Newbins apparently became caught up in the protest that turned into a riot with the overturning and burning of the police car, Yeates said. He could have used a nearby five-gallon jug of water to douse the fire but instead he ran to a place where he could get something to burn, he said.

“The flames were large and it was a rather scary situation,” he said, adding protesters moved away because they thought the car might explode.

Yeates argued that Newbins should remain in custody because he is an “unmanageable” danger to the community and a risk to flee the state based on his previous criminal behavior, including choking his wife with a belt, criminal mischief, fleeing from police, giving false information, drug possession, DUI and failing to appear in past court cases over a 10-year period.

Overson called Newbins’ past crimes “low-level stuff” and noted that the domestic violence charge was dismissed and prosecutors chose not to bring it back. He also argued that he would not skip town because his wife and kids are in Salt Lake City.

Newbins said his wife told him that morning not to join the protest.

“I’m a true believer in God,” he said. “I felt I was supposed to be down there.”