DA urges calm in Fresno County before and during inauguration, citing insurrection at Capitol
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp issued a warning on Friday to anyone who is thinking about participating in any violent or armed protests before or during Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration.
“Any person participating in illegal conduct will be identified, arrested and prosecuted,” Smittcamp said in a statement.
Smittcamp cited the riots in Washington, DC on Jan. 6, when a mob — encouraged by the President Donald Trump’s denial of his November loss to Biden — stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Trump supporters and others forced their way past police and into the U.S. Capitol building, forcing a halt to the constitutional process of certifying the Electoral College count following the Nov. 3 presidential election.
At least five were killed during the riots.
Smittcamp is urging “all members of our community to refrain from participating in any violent or armed protest that exceed the constitutional right to peacefully assemble.”
The FBI on Wednesday urged police chiefs to be on high alert for threats of violence, including state capitols.
“Given the heightened tensions and the possibility of further unrest targeting state capitals, citizens are discouraged from traveling to Sacramento for the purpose of protesting,” Smittcamp wrote. “Those who choose to protest at the State Capitol in spite of warnings from law enforcement, should be aware that carrying a loaded firearm onto State Capitol grounds, even with a permit, is a felony and merely one of many criminal charges that may apply to anyone engaging in violent or armed protests.”
Federal, state and local law enforcement officials will be on high alert and multi-agency command-posts will be operation throughout the state, including Fresno County, in order to deter and respond to any lawlessless, Smittcamp said.
How local law enforcement is preparing
Fresno County sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti on Friday said the department did not have Intel to say things are planned to take place locally. But the sheriff’s office will continue to monitor any talk of any threats through social media, email, text or phone calls.
“We have a deputy assigned to the JTTF, Joint Terrorism Task Force.,” Botti said. “This means he is a liaison to the Sacramento Regional Threat Assessment Center. It is a branch of CalOES’s unit.”
Botti added the sheriff’s office has a Mobile Field Force Unit that is used for crowd control and riot response.
“We have recently trained with members of several agencies in the valley so we are all on the same page,” he said. “Our MFF will be deployed locally or out of the area through a mutual aid request should a situation arise where they are needed.”
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 4:03 PM.
