Officials Investigating Fire at Church Connected to Michael Brown Family

The church Michael Brown’s father regularly attends is among the many buildings that were torched in the wake of the grand jury announcement, reports The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Carlton Lee, senior pastor of The Flood Christian Church, said he was busy trying to help put out a fire and prevent looting in the region when police called him close to midnight on Monday to break the news.

Lee rushed to the church, arriving at about the same time as the fire department. Lee said he saw smoke and fire erupting from the building after firefighters broke a window open.

Lee called members of the church, including Michael Brown Sr., to let them know what had happened. Brown, Lee said, was devastated.

Lee has been in touch with FBI officials about the incidents. The FBI would not confirm the existence of an investigation.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has launched an investigation into the blaze at the church. John Ham, a public information officer for the agency, says federal law mandates that officials investigate fires at houses of worship.

Responding to a sharp increase in arson cases involving churches, then-President Bill Clinton formed the National Church Arson Task Force in 1996.

Ham says officials are currently investigating more than a dozen fires related to Ferguson. But the church fire is unique, Ham said. The Flood Christian Church is set off from the main protest area, and no adjacent buildings were damaged.

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