A man in Seattle who was arrested this month was accused of threatening to kill Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
The 49-year old Brett Forsell is now facing felony charges for stalking after investigators obtained new evidence.
Reports revealed that Forsell was arrested on July 9 and was released after the prosecutors stated that they did not have enough evidence to support the hate crime charge against him but made it clear that the investigation was ongoing.
However, just recently, Forsell was accused of threatening Jayapal with prosecutors indicating that he stalked her because of her position as an elected official and noted that he was armed with a deadly weapon.
Man accused of threatening to kill Rep. Pramila Jayapal charged with felony https://t.co/YBflcDcuaB
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 28, 2022
In an official statement released by Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, she said that “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,”
“Now, the Prosecutor’s Office and the courts will do their important work to protect all of us.” Jayapal added.
According to the reports, the suspect was arrested outside Japayal’s home after she called 911. She also reportedly told authorities that her husband thought someone might have fired a pellet gun.
Police also revealed that a neighbor said that the suspect yelled “Go back to India, I’m going to kill you,” while shouting obscenities.
Moreover, the police issued a temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order against, requiring Forsell to surrender all his firearms and concealed pistol license.
The order also cited concerns regarding his escalating behavior toward Jayapal and increasing mental health struggles.
According to the prosecutors, a judge has approved a bail amounting to $500,000. However, there’s no evidence that Forsell had been booked into jail as of Wednesday evening.
On July 17, Jayapal addressed the situation in an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show.”
“I am not okay, and I’m okay,” Jayapal said at the time.
“This man wanted to intimidate me, he wanted to threaten me, he wanted to harm me,” she added.
Pramila Jayapal became the first Indian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016. The Democrat heads the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
