A Danville City Councilman has been rushed to hospital by helicopter after he was attacked by a man who doused him on petrol and set him alight.
Mr Lee Volger was at the premises of Showcase Magazine, where he works, when the attack happened .
The vice mayor of Danville, Virginia, James Buckner has confirmed to media outlets that Mr Volger was attacked and set on fire.
The owner and publisher of Showcase magazine, Andrew Brooks has already shared a video on Facebook describing what happened.
Mr Brooks explained that the attacker forced his way into their office and had a five-gallon container of petrol which he used to douse Mr Volger with. Realising his attacker’s intentions, Mr Volger tried to flee the scene, but the suspect managed to follow him and set him alight.
Mr Brooks explained, “Lee attempted to flee, ran to the front of the building.The individual followed him and set him on fire.”
Mr Brooks added that Lee identified his attacker as a man named Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes. However, the authorities have yet to confirm if that is his real name or a nickname the suspect sometimes uses.
He added that Lee was awake and talking when he was taken to the burns centre and that everyone’s thoughts and prayers are with him.
The Mirror reports that officers from the Danville police department arrived on the scene a little after 11.30am.
They have released a lengthy statement on the incident which reads, “The Danville Fire Department and the Danville Life Saving Crew also responded to the scene to render aid. The male victim was airlifted to a regional medical facility for treatment. The full extent of his injuries are not known at the time of this release.
“Based on witness information provided to officers at the scene, the suspect entered into the victim’s place of employment, confronted him and doused him with a flammable liquid. The victim and suspect exited the building, where the suspect then set the victim on fire.
“The suspect fled the scene, however witness information provided a description of the suspect and his vehicle. Officers located and stopped the vehicle several blocks from the incident and the driver was taken into custody without incident.
“The driver, Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, of Danville, was identified as the suspect in the attack and is currently in police custody.
“The Danville Police Department does not typically identify living victims in media releases, however due to his public position as an elected official, the victim of this attack was identified as Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler, 38, of Danville.
“Based on the investigation at the time of this release, the victim and the suspect are known to each other and the attack stems from a personal matter not related to the victim’s position on Danville City Council or any other political affiliation.
“Due to the ongoing investigation, the Danville Police Department will not provide any further details about the incident itself, however charge information will be forthcoming.”
