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A Seattle man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to kill Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
48-year-old Brett Forsell, who lives half a mile from the congresswoman, is in jail with a bail of $500,000 after being arrested for suspicion of a hate crime outside Jayapal’s residence, according to the Seattle Times.
Forsell was arrested outside Jayapal’s Seattle home last Saturday night after she called 911 to report that a person she didn’t know was outside using obscene language. Jayapal reportedly told the 911 dispatcher she thinks a pellet gun was fired but wasn’t sure.
A neighbor told police that Forsell yelled, “Go back to India, I’m going to kill you.”
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UNITED STATES – NOVEMBER 17: Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speaks during a House Judiciary Committee markup of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 and other legislation in Rayburn Building on Tuesday, November 17, 2021.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The neighbor also reported that the man had driven by Jayapal’s home three times shouting obscenities.
When officers arrived, they found Forsell standing in the middle of the street with his hands in the air and a handgun at his waist. Police secured the gun and detained him.
Forsell reportedly told police officers he knew Jayapal lived inside and had intended to pitch a tent on her property.
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Holding up a copy of the U.S. Constitution, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
(Photo by Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images)
“Congresswoman Jayapal confirms that incidents occurred at her Seattle home on Saturday night when she was present. The Congresswoman and her family are safe and appreciate the many calls and good wishes she is receiving from constituents,” a spokesperson for Jayapal said in a statement. “She is very grateful for the swift and professional response from the Seattle Police Department, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the FBI investigators who are working together diligently on the investigation and ensuring that she and her family stay safe.”
Washington state law says that a hate crime, also known as malicious harassment is a Class C felony defined as intentionally injuring, damaging property or threatening someone because of their perception of the victim’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or mental, physical or sensory disability.
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The Seattle skyline is pictured from a Washington State Ferry
(REUTERS/Jason Redmond)
The King County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
