Nashville Man Charged With Civil Rights Violations for Allegedly Burning Down 4 Church buildings

A Nashville man was charged with arson after allegedly burning down four local churches within a week.

On Wednesday, Alan Douglas Fox, 28, was charged with human rights abuses for his alleged crimes. If convicted, Fox faces up to 20 years imprisonment – potentially 80 years total – for each fire and a consecutive five-year prison term for a firearms violation.

On June 17, 2019, Fox reportedly set the Crievewood United Methodist Church on fire while in possession of a firearm. On June 25, Fox reportedly set fire to both the Crievewood Baptist Church and the Catholic Church of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. The next day, he is accused of setting fire to the Priest Lake Community Baptist Church.

Fox allegedly set the churches on fire because of religious differences.

The charges were brought forward by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and acting US attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee. This case has been investigated by the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and the Nashville Fire Department.

Silhouette of the arsonist in a hooded top facing a large fire. A Tennessee man was charged with arson after allegedly burning down four local churches in a week.

Several civilian church fires broke out across the country.

On August 12, a 37-year-old man from National City, California, was arrested for allegedly setting fire to the doors of Christ’s Church. The San Diego man, a former parishioner of the Church, was arrested by police after the fire set off a burglar alarm.

The emergency services eventually put out the flames before the National City and San Diego fire departments arrived on site. The fire caused 5,000 euros in damage to the exterior doors.

On July 8, a Los Angeles man was arrested after lighting a church cross.

The man, shirtless and without shoes, climbed the scaffolding of St. Mary’s Catholic Church to reach the bell tower before allegedly lighting the cross at the top of the more than 40-meter-tall building.

The suspect eventually jumped from the church to an apartment building before attempting to escape police. The man also used power cables to drag himself down busy streets while continuing to climb buildings in the neighborhood.

“I think it’s crazy, I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve lived here all my life,” Mariana Delarosa of Boyle Heights told KABC-TV.

The suspect was eventually arrested by the LAPD and treated at a local hospital for his injuries sustained during the ordeal.