US Man Pleads Not Guilty to Capitol Bomb Threat After Livestreaming Police Standoff
© REUTERS / ELIZABETH FRANTZ
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Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, was charged last month with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, and attempted use of an explosive device, following a five-hour standoff with authorities near the Library of Congress. The bomb threat suspect, who expressed anti-government sentiment online, has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Appearing before US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui on Wednesday, Roseberry pleaded not guilty to charges associated with an August bomb threat that triggered an evacuation on Capitol Hill and an hours-long standoff with authorities.
The North Carolina resident's plea came after Faruqui issued a same-day decision deeming him mentally competent to stand trial.
In late August, court-appointed psychiatrist Teresa Grant diagnosed the ardent Trump supporter with bipolar disorder and, with Faruqui's approval, prescribed the suspect new medication to treat his condition.
Grant, who described Roseberry as "amenable to treatment," was tapped by the federal court after the suspect told the judge that it had been days since he had been administered what he referred to as his "mind medicine."
"Not having my medication is going to make things difficult," he said during a virtual hearing in August. "I don't know what today is."
The psychiatrist later determined that Roseberry's original medication was not treating his condition.
According to US Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, Roseberry parked his vehicle outside the Library of Congress at around 9:15 a.m. local time on August 19. When approached by an officer, the suspect reportedly warned that he had an explosive device in his possession.
The man, who was livestreaming himself on Facebook, was overheard making a number of demands, including repeated calls for US President Joe Biden's resignation.
The truck was seen outside the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill on Thursday morning and police say they reason to believe it may be carrying an explosive device. The Supreme Court building, along with several other nearby buildings, have also been evacuated as officers swarm. pic.twitter.com/5QaCv7n3Uw
— Rasta Redpill (@RastaRedpill) August 19, 2021
"I'm up here in Washington DC, there's a Capitol or something. There's another Capitol. The police are coming. I'm trying to get Joe Biden on the phone," Roseberry said in a now-deleted stream.
"You step down out of office, I'll step down out of this truck," the suspect said, suggesting that he was attempting to speak directly to the US president.
Roseberry's Facebook page, prior to its deletion, was littered with videos in which he not only repeated far-right conspiracy theories regarding Afghanistan migrants, but declared that the "South" will experience an uprising and that former US President Donald Trump would be reinstated to the Oval Office.
The suspect was a follower of Trump's presidential campaign page, as well as a White Lives Matter page, ABC News reported.
USCP authorities ultimately retrieved what are suspected to have been bomb-making materials from his pickup truck. However, no fully-assembled explosive device was found, according to a police statement.
Roseberry is facing life imprisonment, and will remain in pretrial custody until his 8 October court appearance.
