A councilman in Danville, Virginia, was attacked and set on fire on Wednesday over what police describe as a 'personal matter' not related to his position or politics.
According to a statement from the Danville police department, Lee Vogler, 38, was attacked at the offices of a local magazine where he is also employed. Officers were dispatched at about 11.30am after receiving a report that a man had been set on fire.
Witnesses told police that the suspect entered Vogler's place of work, confronted him and doused him with a flammable liquid. The pair then exited the building, where the suspect set Vogler on fire before fleeing the scene. Police located and stopped the suspect's vehicle several blocks away, and the driver, identified as Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, of Danville, was taken into custody.
Police said the victim and suspect are known to each other and the attack stems from a personal matter, not Vogler's position on Danville city council or any political affiliation. The full extent of Vogler's injuries is not yet known. He was airlifted to a regional medical facility for treatment.
The news was first reported by Andrew Brooks, publisher of Showcase magazine, where Vogler works. Brooks posted a video on Facebook stating that an individual forced his way into the office carrying a five-gallon bucket of gasoline and poured it on Vogler. Brooks said Vogler was awake and talking en route to a burn centre.
