Pastor Terry Jones Arrested Before Koran Burning

Police arrested Florida Pastor Terry Jones today as he drove to a park to light nearly 3,000 Korans on fire to protest the 2001 terrorist attacks. Sheriff's deputies arrested the 61-year-old and his associate pastor on felony charges as he drove a pickup truck towing a barbecue-style grill filled with Korans soaked in kerosene. He had said he was heading to a nearby park in Mulberry to burn 2,998 Korans—one for every victim of the 9/11 attacks. Authorities haven't spelled out the specific charges yet.

Jones is the pastor of a small evangelical Christian church. He first gained attention in 2010 when he planned to burn a Koran on 9/11, although he eventually called it off. His congregation did burn the Muslim holy book in March 2011, and last year he promoted an anti-Muslim film. (Details on his exploits are here.) Jones has repeatedly ignored pleas from the US military asking him not to stage his protests. Military officials say his actions put American and Western troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere in danger. (More Terry Jones stories.)