Utah man who allegedly threatened Biden and killed by FBI during attempted arrest confronted police with an AR-15 in 2018, report says
Law enforcement close off the scene where FBI special agents shot and killed Craig Robertson
By Elizabeth Joseph, CNN
(CNN) — Craig Robertson, the Utah man who FBI special agents shot and killed last week while attempting to arrest him for allegedly making threats against President Joe Biden, confronted Provo police in 2018 with an AR-15, according to a report by The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Salt Lake Tribune obtained police records that state on August 20, 2018, two Google Fiber employees knocked on Robertson’s door after they arrived to connect his neighbor’s internet service, and went to his backyard when the knocks went unanswered.
“Robertson soon exited his backdoor, allegedly waving a handgun, and yelled for the workers to get off his property, according to the report. One of the workers later told Provo police that Robertson pointed the gun at them as he brandished it,” the Tribune’s report states.
The encounter led the Google Fiber employees to call the police, and when a responding Provo police officer rang Robertson’s doorbell, Robertson was holding an AR-15 rifle, “which triggered a bit of a stand off,” the Tribune reported, citing the police report.
Eventually, according to the police report, Robertson abided by police orders and put the rifle away.
“Robertson said that ‘while he had his firearm in view he was holding it against his body, muzzle down in a ready position,’ the report states, ‘and did not wave it around or threaten the males with it,’” according to police records.
According to police records, an officer said it was his “belief that no actual crime had occurred and that (Robertson) had been exercising his 2nd Amendment rights, albeit a little recklessly.”
“Provo police contacted the Utah County attorney’s office for another opinion, and prosecutors agreed with the officer, the report states.”
CNN has requested a copy of police records.
Robertson was facing three federal charges, including threats against the president as well as influencing, impeding and retaliating against federal law enforcement officers by threat. Investigators noted that Robertson appears to owns “a sniper rifle” and several other firearms.
Some of the threats happened just ahead of Biden’s planned trip to Utah.
Prosecutors alleged that in one online threat to the president, Robertson wrote, “I HEAR BIDEN IS COMING TO UTAH. DIGGING OUT MY OLD GHILLE SUIT AND CLEANING THE DUST OFF THE M24 SNIPER RIFLE. WELCOM, BUFFOON-IN-CHIEF!”
He had also posted online threats against other Democratic politicians and prosecutors who have brought cases against former President Donald Trump. The case comes amid heightened vitriol aimed at national and local leaders in the lead-up to the 2024 election and what FBI Director Christopher Wray has called an “unprecedented” level of threats against FBI agents.
In another post Robertson said, “Hey FBI, you still monitoring my social media? Checking so I can be sure to have a loaded gun handy in case you drop by again.”
The-CNN-Wire
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