The man accused of threatening to kill Representative Pramila Jayapal and harassing her at her Seattle home last weekend was released from jail Wednesday, which has upset the lawmaker's neighbors.
Brett Forsell, 48, was arrested around 11:25 p.m. on Saturday on suspicion of committing a hate crime after Jayapal called 911 and reported that an unknown person was in a vehicle outside her house. He had a .40-caliber handgun on his waist and was yelling obscene language, telling the Democratic congresswoman to "go back to India, I'm going to kill you," according to a statement from one of Jayapal's neighbors.
Jayapal was born in India and moved to the U.S. at 16 to attend Georgetown University. In 2016, she became the first Indian American woman elected to the House of Representatives and represents Washington's 7th Congressional District, which includes most of Seattle.
TV station KOMO reported that several neighbors witnessed the incident as well. One neighbor said, "I heard loud screaming yelling and cursing: 'We'll you kill you, go back to where you come from.' Just things that were not OK and totally out of the ordinary for this street. We're a tight-knit group here on our street, we look out for each other. It's scary when somebody wants to come and disrupt that."
According to an extreme risk protection order obtained by the Seattle Police Department, home security videos showed Forsell shouting expletives at Jayapal while he approached her house. In one video, the sound of metal being manipulated can be heard, The Seattle Times reported.
The protection order stated that the detective investigating the incident was not sure if the sound was from the handgun Forsell had or if it was the sound of clanging metal tent poles. The suspect admitted he was trying to pitch a tent on Jayapal's property, according to the Times, which cited the protection order.
Forsell was required to turn over his firearms and a concealed pistol license. He was released from jail on Wednesday by King County prosecutors, as police said they could not be certain if he had threatened Jayapal or committed a hate crime.
Another neighbor said that his release from jail was extremely concerning. "I do not understand it: What happened to the justice system? It is just not right. He was really raising a ruckus and swearing and cussing and every nasty word that you could hear, and then the prosecutors turn around and let him go," the neighbor told KOMO.
A spokesperson for Jayapal previously told Newsweek, "The congresswoman and her family are safe and appreciate the many calls and good wishes she is receiving from constituents."
Siham Zniber added, "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."
Within 14 days after the issuing of the temporary protection order, a full hearing will be held in front of a judge, where Forsell can challenge the order. The judge will decide whether to grant or deny a permanent protection order, which would stop him from purchasing guns for one year.
Newsweek reached out to the Seattle Police Department for further comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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