ATLANTA — Two people have been indicted on federal charges in connection with a 2022 incident outside the Cobb County offices of a contractor for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, officials said.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said Katie Kloth, 39, of Colorado and Tyler Norman, 42, of Wisconsin, are accused of launching explosives at a building and setting fires that damaged property.
According to Hertzberg, Kloth and Norman were part of a crowd that gathered during a riot on May 12, 2022, outside the Cobb County offices of Brasfield & Gorrie.
Officials said Brasfield & Gorrie was the general contractor for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a police and fire training facility often referred to by opponents as “Cop City.”
As the crowd approached the building, Kloth and Norman allegedly used explosives and fire to intimidate employees and damage property belonging to Brasfield & Gorrie.
“The law does not protect, and the Department of Justice will not tolerate, organized acts of violence or targeted intimidation,” U.S. Attorney Hertzberg said.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday charging Kloth and Norman with maliciously damaging or attempting to damage property used in interstate commerce by means of fire and explosives.
Officials said the grand jury also charged both defendants with using fire and explosives to intimidate and interfere with employees during and in relation to a civil disorder.
“This indictment underscores our commitment to ensuring that acts of violence and intimidation will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd of the ATF Atlanta Field Division.
On Monday, the Acting Attorney General of the United States certified that “prosecution of Kloth and Norman for the intimidation offense is in the public interest and is necessary to secure substantial justice.”
“The criminal acts of these individuals have repeatedly placed members of the community, construction personnel, and public safety officials in danger,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.
