The top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., said Friday that there is "no direct evidence of kill and capture teams" among Capitol rioters, walking back claims by federal prosecutors in Arizona, who said in court documents that rioters sought to "capture and assassinate elected officials," per USA Today.
The state of play: The prosecutors in Arizona made the claims in a detention memo late Thursday against Jacob Chansley — the man photographed wearing horns while standing at Vice President Mike Pence's desk in the Senate chambers. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona told Reuters prosecutors plan to file an amended memo later Friday.
- Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said Friday that there may have been a “disconnect” between his office, which is leading the prosecution effort, and local offices on the evidence obtained so far in the cases, per Reuters.
The big picture: The FBI is tracking over 200 suspects related to the breach at the Capitol. While many are being detained and charged over acts of physical violence, Chansley's charges "involve active participation in an insurrection attempting to violently overthrow the United States government."
- Prosecutors note that mental illness and drug abuse may contribute to his behavior.
