JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was sent to investigate a report made this week about a threatening letter taped to the back door of the Duval Democratic Party Headquarters.
According to the JSO report, which News4Jax obtained Thursday, an officer was dispatched Monday afternoon to speak with Daniel Henry, chair of the Duval Dems, who said he noticed the note when he arrived to do some paperwork and parked behind the building.
The officer stated in the report that he noticed two pieces of paper taped to the rear door containing several pictures. Henry told the officer the photos were of people who worked at the HQ.
Above their photos, the officer wrote, were “a few sentences typed out regarding the political election that took place in November of this year.”
Henry shared the letter with News4Jax, which reads:
“We want blood. You lost the election. Redress our grievances now or we will. Be back later. We the People.”
“I was freaked out to be quite honest,” Henry told News4Jax. “We’re volunteers. I don’t really think of myself as some public figure.”
A video Henry shared with News4Jax shows a man wearing a gas mask approach the rear of the building, open a plastic bag and pull out what appears to be the note before walking out of frame. The man then leaves the area.
The date on the video’s timestamp was Saturday.
“This is not the first time we’ve seen incidents of people kind of taking language from the president or the governor or whoever that has expressed doubts about the election and go out and do something stupid or crazy. We’ve seen a front row seat of that of the past four years. I just didn’t ever expect to see it on my doorstep,” Henry said. “I‘m angry because this is not something that anyone wants to deal with but are more angry that my other volunteers and officers have to deal with something like this as well.
Henry told News4Jax it looks clear to him that the person know what they were doing and had an intent. He said from the back of the building, it’s difficult to know what door belongs to the party’s headquarters.
A prepared statement he released reads in part: “It’s clear the perpetrator’s intent was to inspire fear and perpetuate the false narrative of the election being rigged. We will not be intimidated by cowards that lurk in the shadows in gas masks. When political leaders publicly refuse to accept the results of the election, they embolden bad actors like these.”
The Duval Democratic Party on Thursday night asked for anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500.
News4Jax also received a statement from the Duval GOP, which reads:
“The Duval GOP condemns all forms of political violence. Threats like this have no place in our political discourse. We look forward to law enforcement apprehending this individual and punishing them to the full extent of the law.”
