Biography
Isaiah Willoughby is a Tacoma, Washington man who was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for setting fire to the Seattle Police East Precinct during the CHOP/CHAZ (Capitol Hill Occupied Protest) autonomous zone. In the early morning of June 12, 2020, Willoughby poured gasoline and ignited a debris pile against the precinct wall and subsequently deleted social media posts to conceal his involvement. The East Precinct was the symbolic center of the CHOP zone, a multi-week occupation of several city blocks following the police killing of George Floyd. Willoughby pleaded guilty to federal arson and was sentenced in October 2021. After his release he ran as a candidate for Seattle City Council.
Isaiah Thomas Willoughby, 35, of Seattle, WA was arrested on a federal arson charge after his family recognized him by his distinctive yellow hoodie in surveillance video. He was seen on June 12, 2020 starting a small fire at the Seattle PD East Precinct, then within the protester-occupied zone on Capitol Hill (CHAZ/CHOP). Sentenced to 24 months federal prison.
Birth-year evidence
The July 15, 2020 Justice Department release identifies Isaiah Thomas Willoughby as 35 following his July 14 arrest. This supports birth in 1984 or 1985; c. 1985 is an approximate age-derived year, not an exact birthday.
