"Sometimes I come across cases by accident. This was one of those," Huntsville Police Department spokesman Michael Johnson wrote on the department's Nextdoor page. "While responding to a media request regarding an arson case today, I came across this arrest."
Johnson said officers were called to Huntsville Hospital Tuesday to deal with a trespassing complaint when they discovered the alleged trespasser, Jackson, was already being sought in connection with an arson the day before.
"He became belligerent with officers, and during the arrest for the trespassing, he spit at one of the officers and was able to do so, getting saliva inside one of the officers' mouths," Johnson wrote.
WAFF in Huntsville reported that Jackson is a suspect in a single arson fire that took place the day before near Golf Road. Details of that fire were not made public.
Jackson is not a suspect in a separate arson case in which a string of arson fires have targeted unoccupied homes in the Cavalry Hill neighborhood of the city. A total of 10 fires have been set since September, the news station said.
Four homes, a dumpster and a vehicle were damaged, according to WAFF. No injuries have been reported. Some of the homes were ignited multiple times.
"The fires could spread, they could cause further damage, God forbid we have a child or kids playing around one of these vacant homes or areas, and they get inside and they get caught up in one of these fires and we wound up having a homicide," Huntsville police Capt. Mike Izzo said, according to WAFF.
Izzo said at a news conference that the department had contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for assistance with that case. Federal charges could be filed against those responsible for the fires.
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