Rep. Roy Pushes for Answers from Austin Police Chief on Flammable Devices Found at Tesla Showroom
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) sent a letter to Austin Police Department (APD) Police Chief Lisa Davis urging APD to handle any ongoing threat to Tesla judiciously after authorities discovered incendiary devices in a Tesla showroom in Austin on March 24, 2025.
Congressman Roy wrote: “Since President Trump returned to office and directed Tesla CEO Elon Musk to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), several Tesla dealerships, vehicle lots, charging stations, and even privately owned Tesla vehicles have been targets of criminal activity nationwide. These acts have escalated from mere vandalism to dangerous acts, including igniting Tesla vehicles on fire, shooting live ammunition, and throwing Molotov cocktails at Tesla showrooms.
In this month alone, law enforcement has responded to 48 instances involving Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations being targeted across the country, seven of which, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has partnered with local law enforcement. Additionally, the FBI suspects these attacks appear to be politically motivated, targeting Tesla-affiliated individuals for perceived political stances and Mr. Musks’s actions at DOGE."
In the letter, Congressman Roy requested the following questions be answered in a forthcoming APD briefing briefing:
- Does the March 24, 2025, Tesla incident have preliminary signs of ties to terrorism or extremist groups?
- Are there any suspects(s) or persons-of-interest(s) APD is suspecting in the March 24, 2025, Tesla incident?
- How many calls-for-service and/or reports has APD received related to Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations being vandalized or Tesla owners being victimized because of their ownership of said vehicle since January 20, 2025
- If so, how many of these incidents has the FBI been called in to investigate?
- Has APD received calls-for-service detailing individuals being targeted for their political beliefs since January 20, 2025?
- Does APD anticipate increasing security and surveillance at any of the other five Tesla locations in the Austin area?
Read the letter below.