Capitol Rioters Planned To Capture And Kill Politicians, Prosecutors Say | Violation of the US Capitol

Federal prosecutors have offered a disturbing new assessment of last week’s siege on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump, saying in a court filing that the rioters intended to “capture and murder elected officials.”

Prosecutors offered this view in a case asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man and QAnon conspiracy theorist who was pictured wearing horns as he stood at the vice office. -President, Mike Pence, in the US Senate chamber.

The detention memo, written by attorneys for the Arizona Department of Justice, gives more details of the FBI’s investigation into Chansley, revealing he left a note in Pence warning that “this is only a matter of time, justice arrives ”.

“Strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions on Capitol Hill, supports the intention of the rioters on Capitol Hill was to capture and assassinate US government officials,” prosecutors wrote.

A public defender representing Chansley could not immediately be reached for comment. Chansley is due in federal court on Friday.

Prosecutors and federal agents have begun laying more serious charges related to violence on Capitol Hill, including against retired firefighter Robert Sanford who threw a fire extinguisher at the head of a police officer and another, Peter Stager, accused of beating another officer with a pole bearing an American flag.

In Chansley’s case, prosecutors said the charges “involve active participation in an insurgency aimed at violently overthrowing the United States government,” and warned that “the insurgency is still ongoing” as forces of the Order are preparing for further protests in Washington and state capitals.

They also suggested he was suffering from drug addiction and mental illness and told the judge he was at serious flight risk.

“Chansley has spoken openly about his belief that he is an alien, a superior being, and he is here on Earth to ascend to another reality,” they wrote.

The Justice Department has initiated more than 80 criminal cases related to the violent riots on the U.S. Capitol last week, in which Trump supporters stormed the building, ransacked offices and, in some cases, attacked the police.

Many of those charged so far have been easily tracked down by the FBI, which has more than 200 suspects, largely through videos and photos posted on social media.

Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. District Attorney for the District of Columbia, said while many of the initial charges may appear minor, he expects much more serious charges to be laid as the Justice Department continues its investigation. .