Officers responded to a break-in at Mayor Levar Stoney’s campaign office on Tuesday morning after staffers found a broken door, according to The Associated Press. A TV was missing and documents were displaced, but no campaign paperwork was taken.
“Earlier today, the Richmond Police Department was called to investigate a break-in and burglary at Stoney for RVA’s campaign office in Jackson Ward,” Campaign Manager Kevin Zeithaml said in a Tuesday press release. “The investigation is ongoing and we will release more information as it becomes available. While it’s our hope that this is not politically motivated, it underscores the need for a more civil political discourse as we close out this election cycle,” Zeithaml said.
Since protests began in June, Richmond has experienced a crime wave, including repeated vandalism at the Richmond GOP headquarters. In response to the broken GOP windows, Stoney tweeted, “Although I may not agree with this party’s stances, violence and vandalism have no place in this city. Destruction is not how we win arguments.”
Stoney is defending his seat against four mayoral candidates who have criticized him on topics ranging from fiscal responsibility to corruption. Councilmember and opponent Kim Gray called for a criminal investigation into a $1.8 million contract used to remove Richmond’s Confederate statues.
Zeithaml told ABC8 News that there was security camera footage available.
Zeithaml said, “On behalf of our team, thank you to the Richmond Police Department for their quick, professional, and thorough response. If you have any information that can assist the RPD in the course of their investigation, please contact Det. Patricia Bruington at 804-646-6619.”
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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected].
