Federal prosecutors offered a sinister new assessment of last week’s siege of the United States Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump, saying in a lawsuit that protesters intended to “capture and murder elected officials.”
Prosecutors offered this view in a lawsuit asking a judge to arrest Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man and QAnon conspiracy theorist who was photographed using horns while at the table of Vice President Mike Pence in the U.S. Senate chamber.
The arrest memo, written by lawyers in the Arizona justice department, gives more details about the FBI investigation into Chansley, revealing that he left a note for Pence warning that “it’s just a matter of time, justice is coming”.
“Strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions on the Capitol, supports that the Capitol troublemakers’ intention was to capture and murder elected officials in the United States government,” prosecutors wrote.
A public defender representing Chansley could not be reached for comment. Chansley is due to appear in federal court on Friday.
Federal prosecutors and agents began bringing more serious charges related to violence on Capitol Hill, including against a retired fireman, Robert Sanford, for having thrown a fire extinguisher in the head of a policeman and another, Peter Stager, accused of beating another officer with a mast with an American flag.
In Chansley’s case, prosecutors said the charges “involve active participation in an insurrection that is trying to violently overthrow the United States government”, and warned that “the insurrection is still going on” as the police prepare for more demonstrations in Washington and state capitals.
They also suggested that he suffered from drug abuse and mental illness, and told the judge that he was at serious risk of flight.
“Chansley spoke openly about his belief that he is an alien, a superior being, and that he is here on Earth to ascend to another reality,” they wrote.
The justice department brought in more than 80 criminal cases in connection with the violent riots in the U.S. Capitol last week, in which Trump supporters broke into the building, looted offices and, in some cases, attacked the police.
Many of the people accused so far have been easily tracked by the FBI, which has more than 200 suspects, largely thanks to videos and photos posted on social media.
Michael Sherwin, the acting United States attorney for the District of Columbia, said that while many of the initial charges may appear minor, he expects much more serious charges to be filed as the justice department continues its investigation.
