Trump described the killing of an Antifa-linked suspect by US Marshals as 'retribution'

tporter@businessinsider.com (Tom Porter)
·3 min read
Trump, Fox News
Donald Trump is interviewed by Fox News' Jeanine Pirro on September 12

Fox News

  • President Donald Trump in a Fox News interview Saturday described the fatal shooting of an antifa-linked murder suspect by US Marshals last week as an act of "retribution."

  • The fatal shooting by the law enforcement officers has come under scrutiny, with one witness claiming that they did not try and arrest the suspect before opening fire.

  • Trump has seized on the August 29 killing of a far-right activist during protests in Portland to hammer home his attack on anti-racism protesters.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

 

President Donald Trump described the killing of a left-wing activist and murder suspect shot dead by US Marshals as "retribution," in an interview with Fox News.

In the interview with host Jeanine Pirro, on Saturday, Trump discussed the September 3 death of Michael Reinoehl, who was shot dead by US Marshals in Washington state.

Reinoehl had expressed support for the left-wing antifa and Black Lives Matter and was a suspect in the fatal shooting of far-right activist Aaron Danielson in an August 29 protest in the city, where rival groups of demonstrators clashed.

In the interview, Trump remarked: "This guy was a violent criminal, and the US Marshals killed him. And I'll tell you something -- that's the way it has to be. There has to be retribution."

Critics have accused the president of cheering extrajudicial violence by law enforcement.

 

Reinoehl's death is coming under increasing scrutiny, with one witness to his killing outside an apartment complex in Lacey, Washington, telling media outlets including The Washington Post that police did not try and arrest him. They issued no commands to Reinoehl before opening fire, claimed the witness.

Officers from the fugitive dispatch team sent to arrest Reinoehl said that he pulled a gun on them, a claim backed by two witnesses, according to the Post.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on criticism of Trump's remarks.

In a statement to Business Insider, US Marshals Service spokesman Drew Wade reiterated the agency's claim that Reinoehl was killed after threatening officers with a firearm.

"The fugitive task force located Reinoehl in Olympia and attempted to peacefully arrest him.  Initial reports indicate the suspect produced a firearm, threatening the lives of law enforcement officers. Task force members responded to the threat and struck the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene," said Wade.

Trump has seized on the killing of Danielson in his bid to portray most anti-racism demonstrators as radicals and violent extremists, who he has pledged to subdue with tough "law and order" policies.

The president has positioned himself as the last bulwark against the forces of violent anarchism the center of his presidential re-election campaign.

Danielson's is one of a series of violent incidents in recent clashes between BLM protesters and pro-Trump counter-protesters.

In interviews, the president has controversially refused to condemn Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old right-wing militia member who police accused of shooting dead two men in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during unrest in the city in late August.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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