Photo: Appalachians Against Pipelines
State Police say an Arizona man faces multiple charges – some of them felonies – for his protest of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Montgomery County. Troopers say 24-year-old Galen Shirman-Grabowski of Tucson locked himself to a contracted pipeline helicopter yesterday. Charges include felony tampering or damaging an aircraft.
NEWS RELEASE: ROANOKE Co, Va. – The morning of October 7, 2019 the Virginia State Police was notified that an unknown individual was attached to a contracted pipeline helicopter, located on Cove Hollow Road, near Route 460 in Montgomery County. Pipeline security responded at 6:40 a.m. and located a male subject which was attached by a Sleeping Dragon to the rotor mast of the helicopter. The subject was wearing a mask and refused to release himself from the helicopter. The Virginia State Police Tactical Field Force, Cut Team responded to the scene and removed the device. Galen Sol Shirman-Grabowski, 24, of Tucson, Az, was removed and arrested.
Grabowski was charged with the following:
5.1-22 – Tamper/Damage an Aircraft; felony.
18.2-422 – Prohibition of Wearing of masks in certain places; felony.
18.2-460 – Obstructing justice, without force; misdemeanor.
18.2-121 – Entering property of another for the purpose of damaging it; misdemeanor.
18.2-146 – Breaking, injuring, defacing, destroying or preventing the operation of vehicle, aircraft or boat; misdemeanor.
18.2-137 – Injuring property; misdemeanor.
Grabowski is being held without bond.
