Two men were recorded smashing a window and throwing a lit flare into the Olympia-based office of state Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Lacey, in the early morning hours of Monday, June 13.
The two suspects were captured on a Ring doorbell camera and the video was shared on Twitter by House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm.
“Last night 2 individuals broke a window and threw a lit flare into the office of my seatmate, Rep. Andrew Barkis,” Wilcox stated on Twitter. “We have no information about perps or motivation, but I’m very concerned. Thank goodness the flare landed on a masonry floor.”
The actions of the perpetrators have been condemned by members in the Republican and Democratic parties. Gov. Jay Inslee took to Twitter to address the situation as well.
“Such attempts at violence are abhorrent. We’re thankful no one was hurt,” Inslee stated. “Hopefully law enforcement is able to identify these individuals before they inflict any more harm.”
Wilcox responded to Inslee to thank him for acknowledging the situation.
“Thank you, Governor,” Wilcox said in a Tweet. “We need to cast out criminals, regardless of their motivation. Glad you spoke out.”
The incident has been reported to the Washington State Patrol, according to McClatchy.
