Man Found Near Justice Kavanaugh's Home Charged With Attempted Murder

BETHESDA, MD — A California man found and taken into custody near U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home Wednesday morning has been charged with attempted murder, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland.

Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, is facing federal charges for the attempted murder of a Supreme Court justice, authorities said. Roske was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly after 1 a.m., two U.S. deputy marshals spotted Roske get out of a taxi that had stopped in front of a home belonging to Kavanaugh, according to court documents. Roske was dressed in all black and was carrying a backpack and a suitcase, authorities said.

According to police, Roske then called the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center and told the call taker he was having suicidal thoughts and had a firearm in his suitcase. He also told the person he had traveled from California and was planning to kill a Supreme Court justice, authorities said.

Montgomery County police were dispatched to the area and found Roske near Kavanaugh's residence, authorities said. He was still on the phone with the county communications center.

During a search of Roske's suitcase, police found a black tactical chest rig and tactical knife, a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, zip ties, pepper spray, a hammer, a crowbar, duct tape and several other items.

According to court documents, Roske told detectives he was upset over recent mass shootings and the leaked draft opinion that indicated the Supreme Court may be preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade, which guarantees a person's constitutional right to have an abortion.

Since the leak of the draft opinion in May, protesters have at times gathered outside of Supreme Court justices' homes, including those of Kavanaugh and John Roberts in Chevy Chase.

People can be heard shouting, "Hands off my body" and "The whole world is watching," according to videos of the protests published by CNN.

Lt. Peter Davidov, with the Montgomery County Police Department, told WTOP that county code and Maryland law both prohibit picketing at a private residence. Protests are allowed in a residential neighborhood, "but you cannot picket at a particular residence."

Davidov said protesters in residential areas can be in public spaces, "where you can be lawfully present without impeding people's ability to go about freely." That means protesters can be on sidewalks in residential neighborhoods, but they can't block them.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan released a statement Wednesday saying he was aware of the incident and that he and Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin would continue to work with law enforcement to secure the homes of Supreme Court justices.

Hogan also called on federal lawmakers to "condemn" similar actions.

"It is vital to our constitutional system that the justices be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence against them and their families," Hogan said in the statement.