Man Who Threatened to Kill Pramila Jayapal Released

India-West News Desk

SEATTLE, WA – The man arrested on suspicion of committing a hate crime against Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal was released from jail on July 27.

Seattle police released him because they could not say with certainty that he told the congresswoman to go back to India or that he threatened to kill her, police told the media.

They have instead obtained a temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order which means the 48-year-old man will have to surrender his firearms and concealed pistol license.

Seattle Times reported that the police investigation is ongoing and that prosecutors have 72 hours, not including holidays and weekends, to file criminal charges against a person in custody. If charges are not filed within that time, the person must be released from jail. Prosecutors are also ethically bound not to file charges unless they have evidence to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that a person committed the crime they are accused of.

“The recent incident outside Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s Seattle home is disturbing and unacceptable. In a time of increased political violence, security concerns against any elected official should be taken seriously, as we are doing here,” police told the paper.