He tried to set the vehicle on fire. Police are searching for the man.
By Catholics for Catholics
Idaho police are searching for a man who allegedly stole an ambulance, crashed it into Department of Homeland Security offices, and then tried to set it on fire Wednesday night.
Tracy Basterrechea, the Chief of Police of Meridian, depicted the attack during a Thursday press conference, according to The Daily Wire. The man stole an ambulance and covered it in an accelerant.
The would-be arsonist then rammed it into a building that houses leased offices for Homeland Security but was startled off before being able to ignite the fuel.
“We want to emphasize that this was a serious criminal act. The theft and destruction of an emergency vehicle not only created risk to responding personnel, but it also temporarily removed a critical medical resource from the community,” Basterrechea emphasized.
The attempted arsonist is still at large, the Police Chief said. During the press conference, he suggested that polemic and extremist language regarding the Department of Homeland Security may have played into the attack.
“There has been a lot of rhetoric surrounding the Department of Homeland Security leasing office space at this location, and comments on social media such as, ‘property damage isn’t violence,’ is absolutely false,” said Basterrechea.
“This was absolutely an act of violence, and if the suspect had not been interrupted, there is no doubt this building would have been burned, putting the lives of first responders and others at risk,” he continued.
The attempted arsonist stole the ambulance from St. Luke’s hospital and hurtled it into a building owned by St. Luke’s Health System in Meridian. St. Luke’s Health System had rented space in the marred building to the Department of Homeland Security, and the lease has been at the center of some heated public debate, according to the Associated Press.
“Thanks to rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and encouragement of illegal aliens to evade arrest, our officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Basterrechea said.
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