Federal Prosecutors Say That Rioters Meant to ‘Capture and Assassinate’ Officials

On Thursday, federal prosecutors offered an ominous new review of last week’s siege of the US Capitol by pro-Trump supporters, saying in a court filing that rioters wanted “to capture and murder elected officials.”

Prosecutors offered that view in a filing asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man and QAnon conspiracy theorist who was famously photographed wearing horns as he stood at the desk of Vice President Mike Pence in the chamber of the U.S. Senate.

The detention memo, written by Arizona lawyers from the Justice Department, goes into more detail about the FBI’s Chansley investigation, disclosing that he left a note for Pence warning that “it’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.”

“Strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the Capitol rioters intended to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government,” prosecutors wrote.

A public defender representing Chansley could not be contacted for comment immediately. On Friday, Chansley is due to appear in federal court.

The assessment of the prosecutors comes as prosecutors and federal agents have begun to bring more serious charges related to violence at the Capitol, including announcing cases Thursday against one man, retired firefighter Robert Sanford, on charges of hurling a fire extinguisher at the head of one police officer and another, Peter Stager, of hitting another officer with a pole bearing an American flag.

In the case of Chansley, prosecutors said the charges “involve active participation in an insurrection attempting to violently overthrow the United States government,” and cautioned that as law enforcement prepares for further protests in Washington and state capitals, “the insurrection is still in progress.”

They also indicated that he suffered from substance addiction and mental illness and posed a significant flight risk to the court.

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

The Justice Department has brought more than 80 criminal charges in connection with the violent U.S. riots. Last week, the Capitol, in which Trump supporters invaded the house, ransacked offices, and assaulted police in some instances.

Thanks in large part to videos and photographs shared on social media, many of the people charged so far have been easily identified by the FBI, which has more than 200 suspects.

The Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin, has said that while many of the initial charges might seem trivial, while the Justice Department continues its investigation, he expects even more severe charges to be brought.