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A man was arrested by police Wednesday morning near Brett M. Kavanaugh’s home in Maryland after making threats against Supreme Court justice, according to federal and local officials.
The man, described as California and in his mid-20s, he was arrested by police after telling officers he wanted to kill justice, according to people familiar with the investigation. He did not appear to have arrived at Kavanaugh’s property in Montgomery County, but was stopped on a nearby street and found to be carrying at least one weapon and theft tools, these people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Two people familiar with the investigation said initial evidence indicates the man was angry over the leaked draft of a Supreme Court ruling stating that the court was preparing to overturn it. Roe. v. Wade, the 49-year-old decision guaranteeing the constitutional right to abortion. He was also angry about a recent wave of mass shootings, these people said.
Apparently, police received a notification that the person could pose a threat to justice, but it was not immediately clear who gave the initial clue, those people said.
The man was arrested around 1:50 a.m. today, Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement confirming the arrest.
Montgomery County Police responded to a service call Wednesday morning in the Chevy Chase area of Kavanaugh, where officers arrested a man and transported him to a local police station, Shiera Goff said. department spokesman.
The man was in the area between 1:14 a.m. and 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, and authorities believe the person “came from outside the state with the intent to kill Kavanaugh,” Goff said.
She declined to give further details about the detained man.
The perspective of tipping over Roe it has amplified tensions in court, where judges circulate drafts of opinions and dissent. A final decision is expected this month or early July.
There are indications of improved security around the courts. A high fence now surrounds the courthouse, which remains closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic. Law enforcement has also increased its presence outside many of its homes. Those who have traveled since the draft opinion was leaked are often accompanied by larger security details.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said in a statement that he was informed of the incident and stressed why he pushed for additional security in the homes of the judges.
“I urge the leaders of both parties in Washington to strongly condemn these actions in clear terms,” Hogan said in a statement. “It is vital for our constitutional system that the courts be able to exercise their functions without fear of violence against them and their families.
Robert Barnes, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Razzan Nakhlawi, Erin Cox, Carol D. Leonnig, and Ann E. Marimow contributed to this report.