A radio reporter claims he was threatened with a knife as he covered a fire that damaged or destroyed four Tesla Cybertrucks in Seattle.
The trucks were parked in a fenced lot in the city's SoDo neighborhood late Sunday along with 50 to 80 other electric vehicles awaiting delivery to dealerships or buyers, and video recorded by Seattle Department of Transportation traffic cameras show them going up in flames shortly after 11 p.m., reported KOMO-TV.
Firefighters arrived and put out the flames, and video from a drone recorded by the TV station showed one truck was little more than a hunk of charred metal with melted windows, while another Cybertruck was badly burned and two others suffered less damage.
The fire department hasn't said whether foul play was suspected, but the station's report speculated the blaze could be connected to protests in Seattle and nationwide over Tesla owner Elon Musk's involvement in Donald Trump's presidency.
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Musk is leading efforts by the Trump-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut more than 62,000 federal jobs, and he has also angered many by apparently making a Nazi salute at a Trump rally and making a number of controversial statements since taking a role in the administration.
Thousands of protesters have demonstrated against Musk and DOGE outside Tesla dealerships, and many owners of the electric vehicles have reported harassment and vandalism since Trump's inauguration.
A reporter from KIRO-FM said he was approached by a man who displayed what appeared to be a knife as he attempted to cover the Seattle fire.
“I can’t tell if that person is with another business that’s nearby or with this business," said reporter Luke Duecy. "Someone clearly rolled in, older gentleman, did not want us being here, wanted us all to leave. He decided to come up to me right before I came on air and tried to get me to leave, essentially, and then I told him 'No,' and that’s when I saw this person reach in the back behind like a belt or something and pull something metallic out underneath, and I went 'oh,' and there were unfortunately a lot of bad language between the two of us.
“That was a scary moment as well," the reporter added. "But you know, obviously someone does not want us to be here and to show these vehicles, but that’s in fact what we’re doing.”
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