Man charged with igniting Las Vegas police vehicle to be released

A man accused of setting fire to a Las Vegas police vehicle during a Black Lives Matter demonstration must not participate in any protests for a month, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda Du ordered 23-year-old Tyree Walker to live with his uncle after she upheld a ruling from a lower court judge, who granted his release from federal custody while he awaits trial.

In a separate hearing later Monday, U.S. Magistrate Brenda Weksler ordered the release of 24-year-old Devarian Haynes, another man tied to the alleged arson.

A third defendant in the case, 24-year-old Ricardo Densmore, remains in federal custody. Du said she planned to issue a written decision later Monday or Tuesday regarding his potential release.

Prosecutors said Densmore filmed the video that showed Haynes pouring a flammable liquid from a gas can through a broken or missing front passenger side window of the patrol vehicle. Walker set the blaze as Haynes dropped the gas can into the patrol vehicle, according to court documents, before the men fled after hearing sirens from an approaching Metro vehicle.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler said that the three men admitted to purchasing gasoline prior to the May 31 protest, which she said pointed to premeditation and “specific intent.”

A video of the fire was posted Sunday on a social media account before being taken down, Ihler said, and the three were located after police posted the video online.

“The fact that they were in the hotel room and the video was deleted goes to show they were hiding,” Ihler said.

Densmore and Haynes were arrested at a hotel room Thursday, according to the prosecutor, who did not give the location of the arrests.

In releasing Haynes and Walker, the judges imposed several other conditions, restricting their travel to within Nevada and prohibiting the possession of destructive devices or the use of drugs.

The men are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit arson and one count of arson. During the protest, the Las Vegas Fire Department responded to a police vehicle on fire near Ninth Street and Carson Avenue.

The video posted to social media led to the arrest of the three men, according to the Justice Department.

The men face between five and 20 years behind bars if convicted.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.