
Capitol rioters wanted to capture and assassinate politicians
Members of the Trumpian mob that stormed the US Capitol last week wanted to capture and assassinate politicians inside, federal prosecutors believe.
The allegation surfaced in a detention memo filed in the case of Jacob Chansley, the QAnon conspiracy theorist who was pictured inside the building wearing a Viking hat.
The memo, written by Justice Department lawyers in Arizona, goes into greater detail about the FBI’s investigation into Mr Chansley, revealing that he left a note for Mike Pence warnin: “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 intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government,” prosecutors wrote.
A public defender representing Mr Chansley could not be immediately reached for comment. Mr Chansley is due to appear in federal court on Friday.
The assessment comes as prosecutors and federal agents have begun bringing more serious charges tied to violence at the Capitol, including revealing cases Thursday against one man, retired firefighter Robert Sanford, on charges that he hurled a fire extinguisher at the head of one police officer and another, Peter Stager, of beating a different officer with a pole bearing an American flag.

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