Brooklyn Man Indicted for Arson After Road Rage Incident Involving Explosive Device

vehicle firePhoto byPhoto by jane grn

Brooklyn, NY —The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York announced that Kevindale Nurse was indicted earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn on charges of arson. The indictment, unsealed today, accuses Nurse of throwing an explosive device into a Verizon utility van during a road rage incident in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The violent act, which occurred on January 31, 2024, left two Verizon repairmen injured and their vehicle severely damaged.

Nurse, who was arrested earlier today, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi. The charges were announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, alongside Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New York Division, and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

“As alleged, Nurse deliberately threw an explosive device into the window of another vehicle on a public road, endangering the lives of the vehicle’s occupants and others in the area,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “Unfortunately, road rage is an all-too-common occurrence in our communities. But this dangerous and senseless attack on a busy intersection in the heart of Brooklyn was beyond the pale. We will vigorously prosecute this case.”

The incident, captured on surveillance video, unfolded when Nurse, driving a white minibus commonly referred to as a "dollar van," cut off the Verizon van at the intersection of President Street and Brooklyn Avenue. With his four-year-old son in the vehicle, Nurse allegedly stopped the minibus, opened the door, and hurled an explosive device into the Verizon van's driver's side window, resulting in an explosion inside the vehicle. The repairmen, who were working on high-speed data lines and fiber optic equipment, sustained multiple injuries from the blast.

“The defendant committed an unconscionable act by using explosives during a road rage incident, disregarding the potentially deadly consequences when he threw an explosive device in a neighboring vehicle,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller. “Thanks to strong law enforcement partnerships and the investigative efforts of ATF NY’s Arson & Explosives Task Force, this defendant will now face the consequences of his horrific actions.”

NYPD Commissioner Caban added, “There is no place in civil society for the spreading of fear through intimidation, violence, and destruction. I commend the work of our NYPD investigators, along with our law enforcement partners at the ATF and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, for their dedication and collaboration in bringing this accused criminal to justice.”

If convicted, Nurse faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, with a maximum sentence of 40 years. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Larkin from the Office’s General Crimes Section.

As the case proceeds, Nurse remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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