Prosecutors say Capitol rioters sought 'to capture and assassinate elected officials'
By Jordan Williams - 01/15/21 12:32 PM EST
Federal prosecutors are now alleging that some of the individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol during last week's deadly riot sought to harm elected officials.
The new detail came in a court filing Thursday, in which federal prosecutors in Arizona pushed to keep Jacob Anthony Chansley, known as “QAnon Shaman,†in detention, arguing that he was a flight risk.
Chansley — who was seen wearing fur and horns in the Capitol— was charged last week with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Prosecutors wrote that “strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States Government.â€
The memorandum states that Chansley left a note for Vice President Pence at the Senate chamber dais that read “it’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.â€
When asked what the note meant, authorities say Chansley went on a “lengthy diatribe†describing Pence and other U.S. leaders “as infiltrators involved in various types of wrongdoing.â€
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https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/534439-prosecutors-say-capitol-rioters-sought-to-capture-and-assassinate