Woman tried to burn down Martin Luther King Jr. birth home

Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty

What in the entire f**k?!?

According to a report WSB-TV, an Atlanta woman was arrested after she was seen pouring gasoline all over the historic birth home of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Police were called to the property Thursday evening around 5:54pm and found two off-duty NYPD officers holding the woman for subsequent arrest.

A witness captured video of the desecration and uploaded it to social media.

26-year-old Laneisha Shantrice Henderson was arrested and charged with criminal attempt arson and criminal attempt interference with government property. For those who don’t know, the MLK house is a protected piece of history and damage done comes with a much greater consequence than simple vandalism.

Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty

Two tourists from Utah of all places saw the woman and made an attempt to stop her until the off-duty officers intervened.

“That action saved an important part of American history tonight,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said.

Atlanta Fire Department Battalion Chief Jerry DeBerry said that if not for the bravery of witnesses, the property could have burned down in “a matter of seconds”.

Source: Paras Griffin / Getty

The King Center released the following statement about the potential disaster:

“Tonight, an unfortunate incident occurred at the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as an individual attempted to set fire to this historic property. Fortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful, thanks to the brave intervention of good Samaritans and the quick response of law enforcement. We thank the Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Department, the National Parks Service, and Mayor Andre Dickens for leading the efforts to ensure the safety of our cherished national landmark and its adjacent neighbors. Our prayers are with the individual who allegedly committed this criminal act.”

Thank God for the people who were willing to intervene.