Galloway man charged with trying to burn police headquarters

GALLOWAY — Police have arrested a man they say tried to set a fire in the lobby of police headquarters late last year.

Sean D. Shearer was arrested on Saturday, after a lengthy investigation following the December 21 incident. On that night a man, later identified as Shearer, was seen outside of police headquarters with a bottle of what police believed was a "petroleum based accelerant." In the video the man can be seen attempting to light the bottle on fire and throwing it in front of the building, causing it to shatter, according to police.

The bottle did not catch on fire, according to police, and the officer and another person in the lobby were not injured.

"If the accelerant had ignited the officer and citizen would have been put in life-threatening danger," a statement from the department said."

Shearer was found after a joint investigation by the Galloway Township Police Department and agents from the ATF. After being taken into custody he was charged with two counts of attempted aggravated arson and criminal mischief. He was being held at the Atlantic County Jail.

There was no age disclosed for Shearer and no information released on whether he had a lawyer at the time of his arrest.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com