Suspect in attempted arson of MLK Jr’s birth home is decorated US Navy veteran

The woman accused of attempted arson at the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr. is a decorated military veteran, according to officials.

Laneisha Shantrice Henderson, 26, is a veteran surface warfare specialist of the U.S. Navy and received multiple awards during her service.

Henderson received a national defense service medal and good conduct medal during her service. She was also given the Navy “E” ribbon among other awards.

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Henderson has been charged with attempted arson and interfering with government property after she was seen on camera pouring the flammable liquid out of a large red fuel container and onto the porch of the historic wooden property at around 5:45 p.m. Thursday.

The footage also shows the woman — who was dressed in all-black clothing — dousing plants and emptying the liquid against the windows of the Auburn Avenue house, which is located just blocks from the King Center, King National Historical Park and the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. 

She was stopped in her tracks by two tourists and then apprehended by two off-duty NYPD cops until Atlanta police arrived on the scene and arrested her. 

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Zachary Eugene Kempf, from Utah, who shot the shocking video and is one of the two tourists who stopped Henderson, said he was in Atlanta for work reasons when he decided to visit the house. He began recording this footage as he noticed the woman pouring gasoline around the house.

The video also shows one of the NYPD cops holding Henderson down on the ground with her hands behind her back. She is then escorted away by Atlanta police looking glum and not saying anything.

“If the witnesses hadn’t been here and interrupted what she was doing, I mean, it could have been a matter of seconds before the house was engulfed in flames,” said Atlanta Fire Battalion Chief Jerry DeBerry. 

He continued, “It was really about the timing and the witness being in the right place at the right time. We’re going to be able to mitigate this with no damage to the property at all.”

The home is currently under renovation and closed to visitors until 2025.

King’s birth home, a framed two-story Queen Anne-style structure, was built in 1895 and played a vital role in commemorating the early life of the civil rights leader and his siblings. 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Landon Mion contributed to this report.