Man sets Supreme Court car ablaze, gets 10-year sentence after self-inflicted burns

WASHINGTON (7News) — In 2020, a Maryland man set a U.S. Supreme Court Police car on fire and poured gasoline on several others. Years later, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

On July 15, 2020, 26-year-old Michael Tarner went onto the United States Supreme Court's property, pulled out a gas can from his car, then poured gasoline onto three unmarked Supreme Court Police cars, according to government evidence.

As he poured gasoline onto the cars, some of it splashed onto his clothes, officials said. As he set one of the cars on fire, Tarner was inflamed, causing severe burns to himself, according to the government's evidence.

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Officials said that the incident resulted in a "violent ignition of the gasoline," resulting in a "total loss" of one of the police vehicles.

Tarner later admitted that he ignited the fire to burn police vehicles using a gas that he had brought in Pennsylvania.

Officials said Tarner has previously expressed "anti-government and militia extremist ideologies" to law enforcement, claiming to be the leader of a militia group.

About four years after the incident, in May of 2024, officials announced the arrest and sentencing of Tarner to 120 months in prison.

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