Prosecutors Retract Their Claim That The Capitol Raiders Wanted To "Capture And Kill" Congressmen | The State
Anthony Chansley (center) with other protesters inside the Federal Capitol.
Photo:
Win McNamee / Getty Images
In an unusual move, prosecutors for the Department of Justice (DOJ) who had assured in a judicial file that the assailants Capitol They sought to “capture and assassinate elected officials,” they retracted that statement.
An Arizona federal prosecutor asked a magistrate judge at a hearing on Friday to omit from the court file against Anthony Chansley (one of the most prominent assailants) the line that read: “Strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions in the Capitol, support that the intention of the Capitol mob was to capture and assassinate elected officials of the United States Government ”.
The document did not specify which statements by Chansley indicated that intention.
Todd Allison, a DOJ prosecutor in Arizona, said the department may argue this line if the attacker goes to trial, but that they cannot sustain it for now.
The petition comes just hours after Michael Sherwin, acting prosecutor in Washington, D.C., said at a press conference that “there was no direct evidence of catch-and-kill teams” among the assailants on January 6, for now.
This Friday the judicial file of the prosecutors against Chansley, a resident in the capital and theorist of the conspiracy of QAnon, who was photographed with a raccoon hat and horns of Native American chief inside the Congress building.
Arizona federal prosecutors had asked a judge to hold him in custody until his trial, arguing that he wants to return to Washington for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Prosecutors upheld this request.
[En fotos: Washington, blindado por militares y policías para proteger la toma de posesión de Biden de otro asalto violento pro-Trump]
Chansley is charged with interfering with police operations and procedures, disrupting public order and entering restricted areas of the Capitol without authorization.
According to prosecutors, the FBI investigation showed that the man left a note for Vice President Mike Pence, warning that “It’s only a matter of time” and that “justice is coming”.
Who is Chansley, the attacker with horns and furs
Chansley was one of the infamous figures during the assault on the Capitol, with his hat with horns and fur and his face paint.
Chansley participated “actively in an insurrection that attempted to violently overthrow the United States government,” according to prosecutors, and warned that “The insurrection is still ongoing”, As law enforcement agencies prepare for more demonstrations in Washington and state capitals.
[Trump, solo, enojado y desafiante en la Casa Blanca, teme por su legado. Pero aún le quedan seguidores fieles]
The attacker is a YouTuber who supports QAnon and was also among the pro-Trump protesters who gathered in front of the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix on November 5, falsely claiming that there was electoral fraud.
In his arrest document, prosecutors suggested that he suffers from drug addiction and mental illness, and told the judge that he presents a serious flight risk.
“Chansley has spoken openly about his belief that he is an alien, a higher being, and that he is here on Earth to ascend to another reality, ”they wrote.
More than 200 violent in the sights
Prosecutors and federal agents have begun filing more serious charges related to the violence on Capitol Hill. Retired firefighter Robert Sanford was charged Thursday with throwing a fire extinguisher at the head of a police officer.. Peter Stager, was accused of hitting a different officer with a pole bearing an American flag.
The Justice Department has filed more than 80 criminal cases in connection with the violent riots in the United States Capitol last week, in which Trump supporters stormed the building, ransacked offices and, in some cases, attacked the policeman.
Many of the people charged so far have been easily tracked down by the FBI, which has more than 200 suspects, thanks in large part to videos and photos posted on social media.
Michael Sherwin, the acting US attorney for the District of Columbia, has said that while many of the initial charges may appear minor, he expects much more serious charges to be brought as the Department of Justice (DOJ) continues your investigation.
With information from Reuters and NBC News.
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