Month: April 2022

On Monday, a former police officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was found guilty on all six charges at trial. Thomas Robertson, who was an officer in Rocky Mount, Virginia, when he entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, was arrested last January and fired by the city shortly thereafter.

The verdict given Robertson was another win for the Justice Department, which is overseeing an unprecedented investigation into the hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Robertson’s trial was the second Jan. 6 defendant to take his case to a jury.  Jurors deliberated Friday afternoon and all day Monday before reaching a verdict just before 5:30 p.m.

Robertson faced six charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and entering and remaining is a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon. A Justice Department attorney argued that Robertson was “part of the problem” on Jan. 6 and “decided to take matters into his own hands” because he didn’t like the outcome of the election, and added that “this defendant gleefully put himself in the thick of the initial round of rioters who set off hours of chaos inside the Capitol.”

Nearly 800 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, and almost 250 have pleaded guilty. In addition to the two jury trials thus far, two Jan. 6 defendants have resolved their cases through bench trials. More than 2,500 people entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack, and hundreds more assaulted law enforcement officers outside the building.

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On Monday, President Biden announced the finalization of a federal rule to regulate so-called “ghost guns” more like regular guns, including requiring serial numbers and background checks for the purchase of kits to assemble guns privately. Kit makers and re-sellers would have to include a serial number on the weapon, and the federal rules would also require background checks for anyone purchasing a kit that can be readily made into a working firearm, including 3-D printing kits — just like the background check law that applies to all licensed gun sales. The rule would not ban gun kits themselves or strengthen penalties for crimes committed with ghost guns.

Biden also introduced his second nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, former U.S. Attorney Steve Dettelbach. Dettelbach defended the ATF for facing unfair public criticism.  He said: ‘the men and women of the ATF and the public that they protect deserve better support from us. As we emerge from this pandemic, we’ve got to recognize that many Americans still face fear and isolation – not because of a virus, but because of an epidemic of firearms violence. It’s not a new problem, and it has many causes. That’s why it’s going to take an all hands on deck partnership approach to address that issue, and the ATF will be there.”

Dettelbach served as U.S. attorney for the northern district of Ohio during the Obama administration before resigning in 2016.  If confirmed, Dettelbach would be the first permanent director of ATF in seven years. The position often faces pushback from gun rights groups and has only had one Senate-confirmed director in the past 16 years. The White House touted Dettelbach’s two-decade career as a prosecutor at the Department of Justice, as well as his record of taking on criminal gang activity, domestic extremism and his experience with community gun violence.

This will be Biden’s second attempt at finding the ATF a permanent director. Last September, The White House withdrew former ATF agent David Chipman’s nomination to lead the agency amid opposition from gun rights advocates, Republican senators and some Democrats.

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Cedar Rapids Police confirm that investigators believe two men fired more than a dozen shots inside a Cedar Rapids nightclub left a man and a woman dead and 10 people wounded early Sunday morning.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said that officers – who were just outside the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge because of an earlier incident – rushed inside and found the victims of the shooting, and that between 100 to 150 people ran out of the club at that time.  Officers helped treat the people who were wounded and rushed several of the victims to hospitals in squad cars.  The names of the man and woman who died were not released Sunday. Jerman said one survivor was in critical condition Sunday afternoon while the other injuries, which were all related to the gunfire.  The gunmen likely escaped as the crowd rushed out of the nightclub. Police were searching for suspects Sunday afternoon and no arrests had been reported.

Jerman said police haven’t determined the motive for the shooting but investigators believe one of the victims was targeted, adding: “This is another mindless and senseless gun-related incident involving a reckless disregard for human life. I remain livid and angered at the continued and blatant disregard and lack of respect for human life that continues. That said, I want to reassure the residents of this city that Cedar Rapids is a safe city.”  Those with information about the shooting are encouraged to call Cedar Rapids Police at 319-286-5491 or Linn County Crime Stoppers at 800-272-7463.

Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell urged residents to speak out against violence: “Shock, anger, grief, disappointment — just a few of the emotions that I’m sure we all feel today. And I can personally say that as a mother my heart goes out to those moms and dads today who are having the worst day of their lives. To the families of the injured, we are with you and we are praying for a swift recovery.”

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On Monday, President Joe Biden is scheduled to introduce new policy measures on firearms. Biden’s announcement comes amid growing concern about gun violence and untraceable “ghost guns” that can be 3D printed at home. As part of Monday’s policy rollout, Biden is expected to name a new replacement nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In September, the White House withdrew its last nominee, 25-year ATF veteran David Chipman, following unanimous opposition from Republicans who say the want to protect the right to bear arms. Gun violence advocates have been furious at the Biden administration for failing to lobby hard enough, in their view, for Chipman, and for waiting so long to announce a replacement.

Biden is also expected to announce fresh steps to make it harder for people to build and acquire so-called ghost guns, as many big cities have reported recovering increasing numbers of the weapons. These weapons lack serial numbers, which would enable law enforcement to track them and enforce background checks. And they are essentially available in plastic, which can bypass metal detectors.

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