A man shot dead by the FBI in Utah had pulled a gun on the agents, newly released details reveal. Craig Deleeuw Robertson died during an early morning raid on his home in Provo, prompted by online threats toward President Biden and other senior politicians. Mr. Robertson, 75, reportedly spent much of his time condemning political figures and government officials on the internet.
Some of his posts included direct threats to kill the President, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama. In one instance, he wrote that he had a dream of standing over the body of California Governor Gavin Newsom “with a wound above his brow.”
The morning raid took place following a post by Mr. Robertson saying, “I hear Biden is coming to Utah,” and advising that he was “cleaning the dust off his M24 sniper.” Accompany photos showed him holding several large firearms.
According to the criminal complaint against him, Robertson had a five-month history of threatening to kill Attorney General Merrick Garland, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg – all involved in prosecuting former President Donald Trump.
The FBI raid took place early in the morning of August 9, and a neighbor said they heard about six gunshots and saw the man’s body removed from his home. Agents said Mr. Robertson aimed a gun at them in an attempt to resist arrest, adding that they had gone to the scene prepared for a violent response from the suspect. He had posted several messages to the FBI accompanied by pictures of machine guns and other heavy weaponry.
The killing of Robertson initially raised concerns about possible FBI heavy-handedness, with some commentators saying they distrusted the details provided and asking how great a danger Robertson actually posed. A right-leaning Red State website writer wrote, “Being armed is not a justification to shoot a suspect, even one that is refusing to comply with orders.”
