NORTHAMPTON — A teenager faces several charges after setting fire to an American flag flown at a post office branch in Northampton on Tuesday.
According to the Northampton Police Department, the incident occurred around 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the post office located at 37 Bridge St. Officers reported to the scene after receiving reports of a fire at the property, arriving to find the American flag flown at the post office lowered with several parts of the flag burning simultaneously “as if sparks had ignited multiple sections,” according to police.
Police identified a suspect who had fled the scene and apprehended them. The suspect has only been identified as a 16-year-old juvenile, with no other details released due to the suspect’s age. The suspect faces charges of vandalizing property, burning personal property, disorderly conduct and setting fire in the open.
The U.S. Postal Service are an independent agency of the federal government, and destruction of federal property can carry much heavier penalties that regular vandalism charges. But Northampton Police Department Capt. Corey Robinson said that he hadn’t heard of any plans to bring such charges in this case.
“Something at this level, they’ll generally refer to us,” Robinson said.
