CAPITOL OFFENSE: Jan 6 defendant accused of plotting to kill law enforcement investigators
For his alleged participation in the January 6th attack on Congress, Edward Kelley was already facing a string of charges including assault.
Now, however, he has racked up additional alleged offenses as he’s accused of plotting violent attacks on the law enforcement offices involved in investigating that day’s violence.
According to a witness, Kelley referred to these attacks as “recon missions and assassination missions.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has images and video that they say show Kelley and two other individuals:
- assaulting a police officer and throwing him to the ground,
- using a board to break a window in order to enter the Senate wing,
- “pushing and pulling on a metal barricade with [law enforcement] on the other end,”
- and, once he gained access to the Senate wing via the broken window, opening a door to let the rest of the mob in.
However, the new charges stem from allegations that Kelley plotted with another individual, Austin Carter, to carry out attacks on the FBI field office in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Another unnamed individual was in on the alleged plot and reported it to authorities, as well as recording some conversations.
The court documents state that the recording captures Kelley saying to “tak[e] them out at their office…attack their office.”
He’s also accused of providing a list of targets, including all officers present for the search of his home or his arrest, and advises Carter and the witness to “reach out to your cop buddies” to dig up intel on the targets.
“Charges against Kelley and Carter are conspiracy, retaliating against a federal official, interstate communication of a threat, and solicitation to commit a crime of violence,” Law & Crime reported.
These stack on top of his original charges, listed in charging documents as:
- assault;
- obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder;
- destruction of government property;
- unlawful entry and physical violence;
- violent entry;
- disorderly conduct;
- and other offenses.
The New York Times reports that both Kelley and Carter were denied bail at their Friday hearing, where evidence, including the list of targets, was considered.
Kelley had also spoken to the witness about the need to “stash” a supply of firearms and ammunition in the coming weeks and called on others to attack the FBI office if they went a few days without hearing from him.
Steph Bazzle covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph.
