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Utah County opened an investigation into the FBI shooting of a Provo resident. The incident occurred on August 9 when FBI agents attempted to execute an arrest and search warrant at the residence of 75-year-old Craig Deleeuw Robertson.

Robertson was shot and killed when he allegedly pointed a .357 revolver at FBI agents. He had made a series of threats against U.S. President Joe Biden on social media. And Biden was scheduled to visit Salt Lake City later that day.

FBI Shooting of “Hardly Mobile” Man

Neighbors of Robertson have shared their memories of a man quite different from the one portrayed in the escalating threats against President Biden.

He has been described as an older, church-going individual in his late 70s. He was “hardly mobile.”  And relied on a hand-carved walking stick just to move around his home. 

According to neighbors, he was an active member of the community, known for his involvement in positive initiatives, such as organizing volunteers to construct a ramp for an elderly woman at their church.

One neighbor, Travis Lee Clark, said Robertson worked in their ward for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for many years.

According to Clark, Robertson was a good person, a woodworker, who built rocking horses for kids. 

“He was very political, very pro-second amendment, he loved his guns, and he loved woodworking as a hobby, but I never saw anything that indicated that he might be violent,” Clark insisted.

Clark believes that Robertson may have gotten carried away on social media.

“I can’t imagine that he could either physically or mentally act on any of that at all. So, I think it’s just a tragedy like this, an abject tragedy that got out of hand,” Clark said.

The community is worried about what will happen to Robertson’s son Sean. He is reportedly disabled and blind. And his father who was his primary caretaker. A few weeks ago, he reportedly suffered a stroke, so he wasn’t at home at the time of the shooting.

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Provo man makes online threats

Despite the image of a caring and kind-hearted individual, it appears that in 2018 Robertson had pointed a gun at Provo Google Fiber employees.

Over several months leading up to the incident, he allegedly made a series of threats against prominent Democratic figures. He threatened key players involved in legal actions against former President Donald Trump.

 He promised to greet the president wearing a camouflage "ghillie suit" and armed with an M24 sniper rifle. He had a large collection of guns. Robertson's social media accounts featured images of his firearms he referred to as "eradication tools," alongside his threats against public officials.

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Utah County Attorney Starts Investigation

The Utah County Attorney's Office has launched its own investigation, as mandated by state law for any officer-involved shooting within its jurisdiction. 

Deputy Utah County Attorney Timothy Taylor emphasized that this independent inquiry would analyze all the evidence. They will review everything from the FBI and forensics gathered by the county.

The ultimate goal is to determine whether the shooting was lawfully justified.

 Taylor highlighted the thoroughness of the process, ensuring that the County Attorney's determination, including findings and analysis, will be released to the public within 180 days of completing the investigation.

Should the investigation yield evidence that suggests the shooting was not justified, there's the possibility of criminal charges being brought against the FBI agents involved. 

The shooting will also be investigated by the FBI’s Inspection Division.