Furloughed Pryor Cashman Associate Charged With Helping Molotov Cocktail Attack During Brooklyn Protests
Colinford Mattis, a corporate lawyer, was accused of driving a van from which an occupant emerged to throw an incendiary device at an unoccupied NYPD vehicle in an act that was caught on camera, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
May 31, 2020 at 12:26 PM
3 minute read
Protesters set fire to an NYPD van after a peaceful protest turns into a violent uprising. Photo: Ryland West/ ALM
A furloughed Pryor Cashman associate is among those charged with damaging New York City Police Department vehicles with Molotov cocktails during protests in Brooklyn early Saturday, according to complaints filed Saturday in the Eastern District of New York.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, Pryor Cashman's website described Colinford Mattis, 32, as a member of the firm's Corporate Group. Mattis' page was removed from the firm's website by 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
He's accused of driving a van while passenger Urooj Rahman, 31, who is also registered as an attorney in New York state, threw a Molotov cocktail during protests related to the May 25 killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
An NYPD surveillance camera recorded Rahman throwing the incendiary device toward an unoccupied NYPD vehicle in Fort Greene, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Rahman and Mattis were soon found in the van along with supplies related to the making of Molotov cocktails, and they were arrested, according to the news release.
In a statement Sunday, Pryor Cashman managing partner Ronald Shechtman said Mattis has been on furlough since April. Pryor Cashman acknowledged it was furloughing some associates in connection with the coronavirus pandemic at the end of March.
Shechtman said the firm's Executive Committee will review Mattis' employment status as it obtains further information this week. So far, he said, the firm is only aware of what has been reported in the press.
"While we were already living in fraught times, the terrible situation around the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has added painful stress to our lives," Shechtman said. "As we confront critical issues around historic and ongoing racism and inequity in our society, I am saddened to see this young man allegedly involved in the worst kind of reaction to our shared outrage over what had occurred."
Mattis graduated from New York University School of Law in 2016 and received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University, according to his deleted page on the firm's website. Until 2018, he had been employed as an associate at Holland & Knight, according to the Pryor Cashman site and the New York state attorney registry.
According to the New York state attorney registry, Rahman was admitted to the New York bar in June 2019 and graduated from Fordham University School of Law. It was not immediately clear Sunday whether she was affiliated with a firm in New York.
Mattis and Rahman did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday.
An initial appearance for Mattis and Rahman is set for Monday in the Eastern District of New York.
This is a developing story.
READ MORE:
Pointing to George Floyd Death, NY Defense Lawyers' Group Calls for 'Structural Work' in Legal System
NY Policymakers Don't Hold the NYPD Accountable
Manhattan Federal Judge Orders Ex-NYPD Officer Released From Jail Over COVID-19 Concern
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