Riot at U.S. Capitol: Suspected rioter calls for public lynching of black police officer, prosecutors say

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Prosecutors said that in the days following the Jan.6 attack, Garret Miller became obsessed with identifying the U.S. Capitol Police officer involved in the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt and asking ” justice”. According to court documents, Miller identified a black police officer he believed was responsible for Babbitt’s death and posted the officer’s photo on Facebook.

Prosecutors said Miller threatened to “tighten his neck with a nice rope” and that he would “swing”. Miller reportedly sent a photo of a rope tied in a noose to an associate on Instagram and said, “I had a rope in my bag that day.”

Investigators said when they searched Miller’s house in Texas, they found two ropes, several guns, ammunition, bulletproof vests and a crossbow.

Miller is expected to remain in jail, prosecutors said Monday. A virtual hearing on the matter is scheduled for Thursday in federal court in Washington, DC.

Prosecutors also noted in the court file that Miller was wearing a shirt that read, “I was there, Washington DC, January 6, 2021” when he was arrested at his home in Dallas.

U.S. Capitol Police did not identify the officer who killed Babbitt as she attempted to enter the President’s lobby where lawmakers were evacuating from the House chamber. Investigators recommended not to charge the officer with crimes, believing it to be a justified shooting.

There is no indication that Miller accurately identified the officer who pulled the trigger.

In addition to the racist comments about the officer, Miller allegedly tweeted “murder AOC,” referring to the popular nickname Ocasio-Cortez, according to court documents.

Court of Appeals ruling paves the way for the release of alleged Capitol rioters with extremist ties, but at least one Oath Keeper will remain in jail

He has been charged with 12 counts arising from the Capitol uprising, including civil unrest, death threats and trespassing offenses. He has not yet had a chance to plead.

Miller’s attorney, Clint Broden, told CNN in January that his client “regretted what he had done” and that his messages were “misguided political hyperbole” influenced by former President Donald Trump.

He is the latest defendant to challenge his detention after an appeals court ruling on Friday set stricter guidelines on how judges should assess the future dangerousness of suspected rioters on Capitol Hill. A Texas federal judge had previously ruled that Miller should be jailed pending trial because he was too dangerous to be released and posed a high risk to Capitol Hill cops.

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