FBI Agents Kill Man Accused of Threatening Pres. Biden
At approximately 6:15 AM local time on Wednesday, a Provo, Utah man was shot and killed by FBI agents as they were serving search and arrest warrants in connection to threats made on social media that targeted Pres. Joe Biden and other government officials.
Facts
- At approximately 6:15 AM local time on Wednesday, a Provo, Utah man was shot and killed by FBI agents as they were serving search and arrest warrants in connection to threats made on social media that targeted Pres. Joe Biden and other government officials.1
- On Monday, the accused — Craig Deleeuw Robertson, reportedly 74 — posted online that he was "cleaning the dust off the M24 sniper rifle" in response to news of Biden's visit to Utah on Wednesday. The FBI began investigating Robertson after an online threat he made in March against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.2
- A law enforcement source said that Robertson was armed when federal agents arrived to execute the warrants, as court filings showed that he owned numerous firearms.3
- Provo is south of Salt Lake City, where Pres. Biden arrived on Wednesday in advance of a scheduled visit at a Veterans Affairs Hospital and for a campaign fundraiser on Thursday.4
- Online, Robertson referred to himself as a "MAGA Trumper" and made numerous threats against political opponents of former Pres. Trump and those involved with legal cases against him.4
- The shooting will be investigated by the FBI's Inspection Division, as is the case for all agent-involved shootings. Robertson was facing three federal charges in connection to the threats, while his neighbors said he wasn't a threat to the public.5
Sources: 1BBC News, 2POLITICO, 3FOX News, 4Associated Press, and 5CNN.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Associated Press. Trump and his allies have fomented anger and violence in the country, and it's putting lives at risk. As the Jan. 6 riot and a violent attack at an FBI office in Ohio have shown, there are real consequences to this dangerous partisanship. Because of Trump's election conspiracies, an elderly man is now dead, as he stirs anger and resentment in a way that goes beyond politics as usual.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Deseret News. Regardless of what one thinks of the former president, we need more answers from the FBI in this sad case. From Ruby Ridge to Waco, the federal government has a history of unnecessarily escalating encounters with those opposed to the government, and there must be more solid evidence other than a few Facebook posts for guns to be drawn on a senior citizen with limited mobility.
