Trump supporters who stormed U.S. Capitol Hill about two weeks ago planned to “assassinate elected officials,” federal prosecutors wrote in court documents. This was written in a prosecutors’ motion filed Thursday, at the end of the trial in the case against Jacob Chansley of Arizona, which took part in the riots. Painted faceless, shirtless and wearing a furry hat with horns.
Prosecutors allege that after Chansley climbed to the stage where Vice President Mike Pence had stood a moment earlier, he wrote a threatening note saying, “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.” During his interrogation, he told police that he had arrived “at the request of the president.” A flashlight and other congressional leaders were removed from the room by the U.S. Secret Service and the Capitol Police before the rioters stormed the room.
“Strong evidence, including the words and deeds of Chancellor himself in the Capitol, supports the intent of the Capitol outlaws to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government,” prosecutors wrote, calling on the judge to imprison Chancellor. His lawyer, Gerald Williams, did not respond to a request for comment, and another hearing is scheduled for Friday.
The FBI investigated whether some of the rioters had the intent to kidnap members of Congress and hold them hostage, focusing specifically on men carrying plastic handcuffs and pepper spray. Prosecutors made a similar claim against a former Air Force officer who allegedly carried plastic handcuffs because he intended to “take hostages,” but so far, the Justice Department has not released any specific testimony and has not explained how the rioters planned to do so.
Meanwhile, according to a New York Times report, the U.S. law enforcement system is investigating 37 people on suspicion of killing Sicknik Brian, a Capitol police officer who was killed in the riots about two weeks ago.