The Portland, Oregon, police department said it is looking for whoever is responsible for setting 15 of the department's training vehicles on fire early Thursday morning.
Photos provided by the department show flames emerging from several of the vehicles as they burned. The department has not said how costly the arson was.
No injuries were reported. Police said the arson occurred in a fenced-off area at the Portland Police Training Division.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek reacted to the incident, while also condemning violence at pro-Palestenian protests on college campuses. Police have not drawn a direct link between Thursday's arson and protests. The university is about 12 miles west of where the arson occurred.
"I fully condemn the criminal actions taken Thursday morning that resulted in the burning of 15 Portland Police Bureau cars, endangering first responders and the surrounding community," she said. "I have absolutely no tolerance for discriminatory harassment, violence, or property damage. This includes the acts of vandalism seen this week at the Portland State University library and against nearby businesses.
"These actions are in direct opposition to Oregon values and threaten working people, families, businesses, and our community as a whole. The Oregon State Police have launched a response on the outer perimeter of Portland State University. The state is prepared to exercise the full extent of the law.”
