Man Tries to Set Tesla Chargers on Fire, Accidentally Sets Himself on Fire As Well

A man accidently set himself on fire while trying to burn down Tesla chargers to protest Elon Musk, according to police.

Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, allegedly burned three Tesla chargers in a South Carolina parking lot and also apparently inadvertently set his clothes with Molotov cocktails on fire on March 7.

He spray-painted in red ‘long live the Ukraine’ and ‘f**k Trump on the pavement next to the charging stations Friday near an outlet mall in North Charleston, according to police.

Clarke-Pounder then ignited an unidentified material stuffed into beer bottles and began to throw the bottles at the stations, police said.

While doing so he caught the clothes on his back on fire, then ran from the parking lot, witnesses told police.

Fire crews cut power to the charging stations shortly after the attack and no one was injured, per officials.

Investigators collected the beer bottles while firefighters cut the power to the chargers and put out the blaze.

Clark-Pounder, a self described mechanic, was arrested on March 13 after police asked the public for help identifying him.

‘Witnesses advised that the suspect had accidentally caught their own back on fire while throwing the devices,’ said an initial police report seen by WCBD.

Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews said in a statement: ‘While we will defend the public’s right to peaceful protest, we will not hesitate to act when protest crosses the line into violence and mayhem.

‘These kinds of attacks have no place in our community. We are grateful for the prompt response of our first responders and law enforcement.’

Musk has been facing protests over his work in the Donald Trump administration as he leads the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency.

About 350 demonstrators protested outside a Tesla electric vehicle dealership in Portland, Oregon, last week, while nine people were arrested during a raucous demonstration outside a New York City Tesla dealership earlier in March.

There have also been recent reports of vandalism on Tesla vehicles and showrooms that are under investigation.

As a response to the attacks, the president turned the South Lawn of the White House into a Tesla showroom Tuesday with five different models – including the infamous Cybertruck – on display on the driveway.

Trump was making good on a his promise to purchase one of the pricey electric cars to support Musk, who is leading DOGE’s efforts to cut back the size and scope of the federal government.

While speaking out in defense of the world’s richest man, he announced his plans to levy harsh penalties on anyone who went after his most famous company after he was asked if the violence against them should be labeled ‘domestic terrorism.’

‘I will do that,’ he said. ‘I’m gonna stop ’em if we catch anybody doing it because they’re harming a great American company.’

He pointed out that he’d done ‘very big favors’ for other American companies like the National Football League.

Let me tell you, you do it to Tesla, and you do it to any company, we’re going to catch you, and you’re going to go through hell.’

Trump added that ‘we’ve got a lot of cameras and we already know who some of them are and we’re going to catch them.’

He said that the protesters against Tesla were the same people causing trouble at ‘our schools and universities.’

‘They’re the same garbage and we’re gonna’ catch them.’