{"id":190683,"date":"2026-04-09T09:51:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/190683\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T09:51:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:51:35","slug":"brooklyn-activist-pleads-guilty-to-torching-11-nypd-vehicles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/190683\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooklyn Activist Pleads Guilty to Torching 11 NYPD Vehicles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AnThe aftermath of an arson attack that damaged 11 NYPD vehicles, exposing the escalating tensions between law enforcement and activist groups.Brooklyn Today<\/p>\n

A 22-year-old Brooklyn activist named Jakhi McCray has pleaded guilty to setting fire to 11 empty NYPD vehicles last June, causing $800,000 in damage. McCray, who has a history of arrests at pro-Palestinian protests, admitted to scaling a fence, torching the vehicles, and escaping through a hole in the fence before being identified by police evidence.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between law enforcement and activist groups, particularly around issues of racial justice and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The arson attack strained police resources and put nearby residents at risk, raising concerns about the potential escalation of civil unrest and property damage.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

According to prosecutors, McCray scaled a fence leading to a police parking lot in Brooklyn and set fire to 10 NYPD vehicles and a trailer. He was spotted by an officer but escaped through a hole in the fence, leaving behind a cigar lighter and sunglasses with his fingerprints. McCray turned himself in a month later, putting out a statement decrying the harassment faced by those who speak out about ‘the genocide in Palestine and the kidnapping of migrants’.<\/p>\n

On June 12, 2026, McCray allegedly set fire to the NYPD vehicles.A month later, in July 2026, McCray turned himself in to police.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Jakhi McCray<\/p>\n

A 22-year-old Brooklyn activist with a history of arrests at pro-Palestinian protests, who pleaded guilty to setting fire to 11 NYPD vehicles in June 2026.<\/p>\n

Joseph Nocella<\/p>\n

The U.S. Attorney who stated that McCray’s actions put the lives of first responders and nearby residents at risk and strained police resources meant to protect the community.<\/p>\n

Ron Kuby<\/p>\n

The attorney for Jakhi McCray, who deferred comment to a collective of activists supporting McCray.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cBy deliberately setting fire to multiple police vehicles in the pre-dawn hours, the defendant put at risk the lives of first responders and residents asleep in their beds nearby, and ultimately, strained resources meant to protect the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joseph Nocella, U.S. Attorney<\/p>\n

\u201cJakhi McCray is a dedicated organizer, activist, and community member whose work has touched countless lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Support Committee for Jakhi McCray<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

McCray faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between law enforcement and activist groups, particularly around issues of racial justice and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While McCray’s actions put lives at risk and strained police resources, his supporters view him as a dedicated community organizer whose work has had a positive impact. The sentencing will likely be closely watched as a test of how the justice system balances public safety concerns with the rights of activists to protest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a The aftermath of an arson attack that damaged 11 NYPD…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":190684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-190683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}