Two Brooklyn lawyers, including an Ivy League graduate corporate attorney, are facing federal charges over accusations they tossed a Molotov cocktail into an NYPD vehicle early Saturday morning during a protest over the police killing of George Floyd.
Colinford Mattis, 32, a corporate lawyer and member of Community Board 5 in East New York, was charged along with fellow attorney Urooj Rahman with the attempted attack on an empty police cruiser parked outside the 88th Precinct station house in Fort Greene.
“This is shocking news to me,” Andre Mitchell, president of Community Board 5 told the Daily News. “The allegation does surprise me because that doesn’t sound like him.”
The super of Rahman’s building called her “an angel” who recently lost her legal job.
“I can’t believe it. I’m stunned,” said George Raleigh, the super of Rahman’s building in Bay Ridge. “This kid? She’s an angel.”
Mayor de Blasio Sunday blamed outside “anarchist” for the violence that erupted in New York over the weekend. But Mattis is a corporate lawyer with Times Square law firm Pryor Cashman.
Authorities say Rahman, 31, tossed a bottle filled with gasoline through a broken window into the cruiser just before 1 am Saturday but the Molotov cocktail failed to ignite. Rahman jumped into a van driven by Mattis and they sped off, court papers allege.
The attempted torching was captured by video surveillance cameras outside the precinct stationhouse on DeKalb Ave., according to court papers.
Cops gave chase and stopped the van nearby on Willoughby St. They found the makings of another Molotov cocktail in the back seat along with a gasoline container, authorities say.
“No rational human being can ever believe that hurling firebombs at police officers and vehicles is justified,” said Brooklyn U.S Attorney Richard Donoghue.
Neither Rahman nor Mattis have been arrested before, authorities say. They face federal charges and will be arraigned Monday.
Mattis, who lives in East New York, graduated from Princeton University and New York University law school, according to his LinkedIn page.
He is an associate with Pryor Cashman, where he specializes in start-ups. He was furloughed from the firm in April, said Ronald Shechtman, a managing partner at the firm.
“As we confront critical issues around historic and ongoing racism and inequity in our society, I am saddened to see this young man allegedly involved in the worst kind of reaction to our shared outrage,” Shechtman said in a statement that was sent to the firm’s employees.
Mattis has served for two years on Community Board 5, which covers East New York and Starrett City. He is vice chairman of the by laws committee and serves on the housing and land use committee headed by prominent activist Viola Plummer.
Mitchell said the board would meet soon to discuss whether to suspend or take other measures against Mattis.
“He’s innocent till proven guilty but I’m sorry to hear anyone would do such a thing,” Mitchell said of the accusations. “These are serious times we’re going through.”
Rahman’s Facebook page showed her celebrating her graduation from Fordham but a neighbor said she struggled with financial problems after losing her job.
“She’s in trouble. That’s bad. I’m sorry to hear that,” Raleigh, the super, said after learning of her arrest. “But if you want to play, you’re gonna pay.”
The attack did not appear to be directly linked to a similar Molotov cocktail attack on NYPD officers allegedly carried out by an upstate New York woman with help from her sister.
Samantha Shader, 27, of Catskill, New York, is facing federal charges for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail into a cruiser carrying four NYPD officers in Prospect Heights early Saturday. The device failed to ignite because she used tissue paper as the rag, which burned out before reaching the explosives inside, sources said.
Her sister, Darien Shader, was charged with obstruction of justice and released without bail Sunday after being arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court. Wearing a hazmat suit, she left the courthouse without commenting on the charges and got into a car driven by her mother.
Samantha Shader was initially charged with attempted murder when arrested by the NYPD.
The feds then stepped in and charged her with attempting to damage or destroy law-enforcement vehicles by the feds. Mattis and Rahman face similar federal charges. All three face mandatory minimum sentences of five years and a maximum of 20 years behind bars if convicted.
It was unclear Sunday if the state attempted murder charge against Samantha Shader will still be pursued by authorities.
