Pat Tillman's brother arrested after 'potentially intentional' car crash into post office
Richard Tillman, brother of late NFL star and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman, was arrested after a vehicle on fire was reported at a San Jose post office.
The brother of late NFL star turned U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman was arrested after allegedly driving into a California post office, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The San Jose fire and police departments responded to reports of a vehicle on fire in the lobby of the Almaden Valley Station Post Office shortly after 3 a.m. on July 20, the postal inspection service said in a statement to Paste BN.
"When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a vehicle had been driven into the post office and caught fire causing the entire building to catch on fire," the San Jose Police Department said in a statement.
Richard Tillman, 44, was taken into custody and booked into the Santa Clara county jail for arson, police said. The motive and circumstances of the crash are still under investigation and police directed further inquiries to the USPS Postal Inspector, the lead investigating agency.
"Postal inspectors are investigating the incident as a potentially intentional act," the postal inspection service said.
Richard Tillman's bail was set at $60,000, according to the jail's inmate booking site. His next court hearing is scheduled for July 23.
About 50 personnel responded to the scene of the fire and it was extinguished with no injuries, according to the San Jose Fire Department. San Jose Fire Battalion Chief Josh Staley told NBC News the two-alarm fire damaged the front of the building and most likely burned some mail.
Pat Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals, but walked away from a new contract offer to join the U.S. Army Rangers in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. Another brother, Kevin, joined with him.
Pat Tillman, who was born in the San Jose area, was killed by friendly fire in 2004 while serving in Afghanistan. An annual race, Pat's Run, is held each spring in Tempe, Arizona, to honor him and raise funds for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
Contributing: Chris Coppola, Arizona Republic