Capitol truck bomb suspect will remain in DC jail while undergoing psychiatric evaluations

Floyd Roseberry will complete his mental competency hearing on 22 September after federal prosecutors charged him with threatening to detonate a potential bomb in Washington DC

A man charged with threatening to detonate explosives from a truck parked outside the Library of Congress will return to court in September following psychiatric evaluations and a new medication regimen.

Floyd Ray Roseberry, who was charged with threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction following his arrest after an hours-long standoff with US Capitol Police last week, returned to court on Wednesday for a mental competency hearing.

At his initial court appearance on 20 August to present him with the charges, Mr Roseberry told Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui that he had not had access to his blood pressure medication and “mind medicine” for several days and had difficulty understanding the proceedings and what day it is.

“My memory isn’t that well, sir,” he said.

During a virtual mental competency hearing on 25 August, Dr Teresa Grant told the court that she believes Mr Roseberry requires further screening under her care while he his jailed in Washington DC; as he is in federal custody, he cannot be held in the district’s St Elizabeth’s Hospital for mental health services.

Following a medication regimen and additional evaluations under her care, Mr Roseberry will complete his mental competency hearing next month.

He will return to court on 22 September.

Capitol Police arrested Mr Roseberry after he allegedly parked his truck near the Library of Congress and streamed an anti-government diatribe to thousands of viewers on Facebook, which has since removed the video and his profile from the platform.

In his livestream, which was also shared widely across other social media platforms, Mr Roseberry held a barrel in his lap while discussing a “revolution” and warning that other “patriots” had joined the cause.

Capitol Police reported that a bomb was not recovered from the truck but “but possible bomb-making materials were collected” after Mr Roseberry’s arrest.

He reportedly told a Capitol Police officer at the scene that he had a bomb, and “the officer noticed what appeared to be a detonator in the man’s hand”, according to a statement from Capitol Police.

On his livestream, Mr Roseberry indicated his truck contained explosives and issued a warning to President Joe Biden against shooting him to prevent sound-sensitive detonators from igniting them.

In an unsealed indictment, federal prosecutors point to threats reportedly made by Mr Roseberry on the livestream.

“The f****** revolution starts today, Joe Biden,” he said, according to prosecutors. “And before you go crackin’ any pop on me, you better get your military experts out, ask them mother******* what a 7 pound keg of gun powder will do with 2.5 pound of tannerite on that mother*******.”

He added: “If you want to shoot me and take the chance of blowing up two-and-a-half city blocks, ‘cause that tool box is full, ammonium nitrate is full.”

Police recovered a rusted drum with one to two inches of “an unknown powder in the bottom” with a fabricated trigger attached to the top of the can, according to the indictment. The can has been sent to an FBI laboratory, according to prosecutors.

Mr Roseberry’s Facebook account frequently referenced Donald Trump, including posts from the “Million MAGA March” on 14 November, which undermined the results of the 2020 presidential election and backed the former president’s baseless claims of election fraud.

During his livestream, he falsely claimed that Mr Biden had not been legitimately elected, echoing the persistent lie that the 2020 presidential elections was “rigged” against Mr Trump and his supporters.

He also claimed “this ain’t about politics”.

“I don’t care if Donald Trump ever become president again. Don’t matter to me,” he said. “I think all you Democrats need to step down. You gotta understand the people don’t want you there.”