An armed man was arrested overnight near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in Montgomery County, Maryland, after making threats, the court said.
Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, is the suspect, law enforcement sources told NBC Washington. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney.
The man was arrested at about 1:50 a.m., the Supreme Court said in a brief statement.
He was armed with a handgun, knife and pepper spray and said he was there to kill Kavanaugh, law enforcement officials told NBC News. He took a taxi to the area, officials said. He was stopped near but not at Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase.
Roske was taken to a Montgomery County police station. No additional information was immediately released.
The arrest comes as the nation awaits a Supreme Court ruling on federal abortion rights. No information on the man’s possible motive was immediately clear. Justices have been provided round-the-clock security at their homes amid concerns about violence following the court’s decision.
Protesters have previously demonstrated outside the D.C.-area homes of Supreme Court justices, sparking debates over security and whether officials’ homes should be protest sites. Demonstrations also have been held outside the court, where a security fence rings the building and nearby streets have been closed.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
