WASHINGTON -- Police in Kansas City, Missouri say someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's (D-Mo.) office there early Thursday morning, breaking a window but failing to start a fire.
Police responded to an alarm at Cleaver's office around 3:00 a.m.
"Upon arrival they observed a window on the northwest side of the building to be broken out," the Kanas City Police Department stated in an incident report. "On the ground below the window they observed two broken bottles with paper towels sticking out the necks of the bottles resembling a Molotov cocktail. There was a chemical odor resembling that of lighter fluid. The only damage appeared to be the broken window."
"The bottles did not go through the window, but were found outside below the broken window," the report continued. "The paper towels were extinguished, and on the ground near the bottles. The responsible party stated there did not appear to be any fire damage to the building."
John Jones, Cleaver's chief of staff, said in a statement posted online that a window had been broken.
"This is the second incident within the last six years," Jones said. "None of the staff was in the building, and because Congress is in session, Congressman Cleaver is in Washington, D.C. We have been in constant contact with the staff, and we thank the Kansas City Police, as well as the Kansas City Bomb and Arson Squad for their quick response and thorough work. All of the Congressman’s offices will be open for regular business."
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, called for the perpetrator to be caught and prosecuted in a statement Thursday.
“The Congressional Black Caucus strongly condemns this type of vandalism targeted at Congressman Cleaver, and denounces any act of violence towards Members of Congress," Fudge said. "This type of abhorrent behavior is the most ineffective means of voicing discontent or disagreement."
Bridget Patton of the FBI's Kansas City field office told The Huffington Post that the office was working with police in Kansas City to investigate the incident. Patton said the office “would be investigating it as an assault on a federal officer” and that the investigation is in the very early stages.
This story has been updated with the statement from the FBI's Kansas City field office. Ryan J. Reilly contributed reporting.
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