Capitol rioters intended to 'capture and assassinate' elected officials, say Federal prosecutors

Washington [US], January 16 (ANI): Federal prosecutors on Friday (local time) said that the rioters in the Capitol had intended "to capture and assassinate elected officials".
CNN quoted the government prosecutors as saying, "Strong evidence, including Chansley's own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government."
The opinion was stated in a memo seeking to keep Jacob Anthony Chansley, who had donned fur, horns and red, white and blue face paint, in detention.
The allegations, written by Justice Department lawyers in Arizona, come as the government have begun describing in more alarming terms what transpired, CNN said.
Chansley, who also goes by the name "QAnon Shaman", had turned himself into the authorities after he traveled to the Washington, DC, at President Donald Trump's call for "patriots" to take a stand against the "rigged" presidential elections, The Hill reported.
His lawyer had filed a plea for pardon stating that Chansley was not involved in the Capitol violence and surrendered peacefully.
Chansley is currently facing charges including "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority" and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Following the days of the riot, he said that he did not do anything wrong.
On January 6, a group of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol to protest legislators confirming electoral slates from battleground US states they thought were invalid.
Trump had made a speech among thousands of supporters reiterating his claim a massive voter fraud had robbed his election victory and encouraged supporters to maintain support to "stop the steal."
Five people died in the riot, including one police officer as well as one Air Force veteran and Trump supporter who was shot dead by police. (ANI)