Aurora Man Charged
An Aurora man was charged with throwing an explosive device at a Naperville police car during a protest on June 1 in Downtown Naperville.
19-year-old Christian Rea is facing federal charges. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, the Aurora man was arrested on Thursday and charged in a criminal complaint with one count of civil unrest. He could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
The Naperville Police Department released a video of the blast, which injured multiple officers:
https://twitter.com/NapervillePD/status/1268284821584969728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1268284821584969728%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nctv17.org%2Fnews%2Fprotesters-remain-in-downtown-naperville-with-curfew-set-for-9pm%2F
What Happened
According to the complaint, the incident happened around 9:30 p.m. on June 1. Rea was part of a Naperville protest in response to George Floyd’s death. The NPD car was parked at the intersection of Washington Street and Chicago Avenue.
The complaint states:
“As a result of the explosion, the NPD officers were temporarily stunned, with several officers suffering momentary blindness and hearing loss for several minutes. Panic ensued in the crowd of protesters as well, with people running in all directions.”
Law enforcement found photos and videos of the explosion, including a Facebook video where Rea was identified.
According to the complaint, Rea admitted he threw the device, which he called a “firework” after his arrest and appeared for an initial hearing on Thursday.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
Photo courtesy: Naperville Police Department
