Travis County Democrats office damaged by 'incendiary device'
AUSTIN, Texas - An investigation is underway after the Travis County Democratic Party office was damaged by an "incendiary device."
The incident happened at the office located in the 1300 block of East 6th Street.
At a news conference, the Austin Fire Department says firefighters and the Austin Police Department responded to the fire at around 2 a.m.
Travis County Democratic Party office damaged by 'incendiary device'
Travis County Democratic Party Chair Katie Naranjo and Captain Brandon Jennings with the Austin Fire Department Arson Section speak at a news conference after the Austin Fire Department says the office was damaged by the device early this morning.
When they arrived, employees at a neighboring business had already extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher.
Officials say an unidentified male was captured on video near the building placing an incendiary device inside the building after breaking a window with some kind of projectile, possibly a rock.
Papers inside appear to have caught on fire, officials say, but the actual device did not fully ignite or the damage could have been much worse.
The investigation into the incident continues and more information is expected to be released later today.
Katie Naranjo, chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, said that the "attack on their office" last night is not going to intimate them.
"The Democratic party believes in free speech, believes in your right to vote," Naranjo said. "We will not be intimated, and we will not be threatened by any individual who takes such cowardly act as to attack a democratic institution."
She added that this hasn't been the first time someone has tried to threaten or attack their office. But it has never gotten this extreme.
"What the individual last night tried to do last night was light a fire of hate, and terror, and threatening and intimidation behavior," she said. "But the only thing he did was light a fire for us to continue our call for us to tell people they have a right to vote, it's their duty to vote."
As of Wednesday afternoon, staff was allowed back inside the office and back to work. "We are Texas Democrats, and we are unafraid," Naranjo said.
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