Floyd Ray Roseberry Capitol bomber threat suspect & Trump supporter surrenders as Grover, Cleveland County, North Carolina man makes list of demands on Facebook Live.
A self described Donald Trump supporter has surrendered without incident, after earlier threatening to set off a bomb as he sat in a black pick-up truck outside the Library of Congress at the United States Capitol, Thursday.
Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, a native of Grover, Cleveland County, North Carolina, Roseberry was in communication with police during the unfolding five hour episode as they sought to figure out if the man’s threat was reliable.
‘My negotiators are hard at work trying to have a peaceful resolution to this incident,’ U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said during the hours long stand-off. ‘We’re trying to get as much information as we can to find a way to peacefully resolve this.’
News reports cited law enforcement sources saying they were quickly able to identify the suspect who drove up to the structure earlier that day at 9.15 am in a vehicle with no license plates, as that of Roseberry. What remained unclear during the unfolding stand-off was whether the device Roseberry had in his possession was an operational bomb along with whether he was actually holding a detonator.
The man’s bomb threat prompted a massive police response and the evacuations of government buildings and businesses in the area as a precaution. It would not be until almost five hours later, shortly before 2pm, Thursday afternoon that the man got out of hid vehicle and surrendered to police without incident.
MAGA supporter
While motives for the threats remained immediately unclear, there was suggestion the bomb threat was related to Roseberry being ‘very upset’ about the presidential election results which led to former president, Donald Trump being defeated by Joe Biden.
Speaking to NBC, Roseberry’s ex-wife, Crystal Roseberry, said her husband had been ‘very upset’ about the election results. The woman said, when her husband voted for Trump, it had been his first vote ever.
She said she had seen images of the man in the standoff at the Capitol and confirmed to The Associated Press that it was her ex-husband. She said had never known him to have explosives, but that he was an avid collector of firearms.
Four days before the threat, Roseberry posted on Facebook: ‘It’s almost time…take a extra pair of civilians clothes for our heroes… who can carry arms in… BIDEN YOUR FIRED…NO ISN’T A OPTION…FLEE OUR LAND.’
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Floyd Ray Roseberry believed to be from Grover, NC.
Proud card-carrying member of the Y’all Queda. pic.twitter.com/HyP5xQXYeo
— Mel the Enforcer (@Fah_Lo_Me) August 19, 2021
‘…the revolution is on’
While sitting in his truck outside the Capitol building, Roseberry started streaming on Facebook live, demanding to talk to President Joe Biden.
During his livestream, Roseberry made anti-government threats along with describing what he believed to be the ills of the country, including the U.S. position on Afghanistan, health care and the military.
He said Democrats needed to step down, then also said he loved the president, Democrat Joe Biden. Facebook removed the videos a few hours after they were apparently filmed. Roseberry did not appear to have a specific demand for law enforcement other than to speak with Biden and having at points declared, ‘the revolution is on’ and that he’d ‘die for this land.’
“I see a guy throw 1s out of his truck and talking about, saying ‘I have a bomb.'”
Sydney Bobb (@nirvananoir) spoke with @ScottTaylorTV about the moment she saw Floyd Ray Roseberry, the Capitol Hill bomb threat suspect.
MORE: https://t.co/10xQOFRbLr pic.twitter.com/PCHFFNmsH5
— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) August 19, 2021
‘You don’t want to do it Joe. I love this land. We got a few options here Joe’
Said Roseberry in part: ‘People think it’s a joke but they cleared the block. They need to get Joe Biden down here. I’m not hurting nobody Joe. I’m not pulling the trigger on this thing. I can’t – there’s no way for me to blow this up. Only you can by shooting a bullet through my window.
‘You don’t want to do it Joe. I love this land. We got a few options here Joe. You shoot me, this two and a half blocks is going with it. You’re talking about a revolution? The revolution is on. It’s here. It’s today.’
Continuing: ‘That crack in my voice is from the passion for the land I love. Somebody needs to tell Joe Biden we here. F***ing revolution starts today, Joe Biden and before you go crackin’ any pops on me you better get your military experts out and ask them what a seven-pound keg of gunpowder would do with two-and-a-half proud of [unintelligible] will do, mother f***er! You know what else? I’m not going to light it. I’m going to give Joe Biden the option to.’
Videos posted to his Facebook before the page was taken down appears to show Roseberry at the Nov. 14 rally attended by thousands of Trump supporters to protest what they claimed was a stolen election. One video appears to be filmed by Roseberry as he’s marching with a crowd of hundreds of people carrying American flags and Trump flags and shouting “stop the steal.”
During a Thursday afternoon press conference, Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger said there was no indication that Roseberry had co-conspirators and police believed him having acted alone despite the man at one point during his Facebook Live video saying there are ‘five of us spreading all across [Washington, D.C.].’
Investigators said Roseberry had a propane tank in his truck but said they aren’t sure if there were any explosive devices in the vehicle.
Dealing with issues
WCNC Charlotte confirmed that Roseberry being a registered Republican voter since 2016.
Investigators said Roseberry’s criminal history was ‘nothing that serious.’ In the late 1980s, Roseberry was charged with larceny over $200 and driving without a license. He was given probation for those offenses. Cleveland County court records indicate he was convicted of resisting a public officer in 1993 as well.
U.S. Capitol Police said Roseberry’s mother recently passed away. Members of Roseberry’s family told police he was dealing with ‘other issues.’
Thursday’s episode comes eight months after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and and one month before a planned rally in Washington that law enforcement officials have been preparing for.
It is unknown if Roseberry has been charged with anything as police continue to investigate.
If convicted of possible bomb threat charges, Roseberry likely face 10 to 20 years in prison, even if he didn’t have a bomb.
