The Seattle man who was arrested earlier this month for allegedly threatening to kill Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., has been charged with felony stalking after investigators obtained new evidence.
Brett Forsell, 49, was arrested on July 9 but released after prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence to support a hate crime charge, but the investigation remained ongoing. In charging Forsell, prosecutors indicated that he was armed with a deadly weapon, and alleged that he stalked Jayapal due to her position as an elected official.
“I am grateful to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for holding this man accountable for his dangerous actions, to the victim’s advocate for her assistance throughout the process, and to the Seattle Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police, and the House Sergeant at Arms for continuing to keep my family, me, and my staff safe,” Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in a statement. “Now, the Prosecutor’s Office and the courts will do their important work to protect all of us.”
Police arrested Forsell outside Jayapal’s home after she called 911 to report that a person she didn’t know was outside using obscene language. Jayapal told the dispatcher that her husband thought someone might have fired a pellet gun.
MAN FACING HATE CRIME CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO KILL REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL OUTSIDE HER HOME
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