Government contractor charged with driving circles on National Mall

A authorities cybersecurity contractor is being held successful jailhouse successful Washington, D.C., for driving his Jeep adjacent crowds connected the National Mall, successful what prosecutors person described arsenic an "absolutely outrageous" transgression connected June 21.    

At a tribunal proceeding Monday, prosecutors argued Curtis Lear of Washington, D.C., off-roaded his conveyance onto the writer of the National Mall adjacent hundreds of people, immoderate of whom had to "dodge retired of the way."

A national authoritative said Lear drove erratically and successful circles, forcing "people to tally successful each absorption successful terror." Photographs submitted successful tribunal filings by the Justice Department amusement the achromatic Jeep kicking up a unreality of ungraded and writer arsenic it moved connected the pedestrian-only landmark connected the nighttime of June 21.

The national authoritative said 1 unfortunate and the victim's spouse had to leap distant "to debar being struck" by Lear's car.

Lear did not talk during Monday's hearing, nor has helium entered a plea successful the case. He faces aggregate national charges, including demolition of authorities property. 

Photographs submitted successful tribunal filings by the Department of Justice of a car driving successful circles connected the National Mall adjacent crowds. Justice Department

Other photos submitted to tribunal Monday showed the conveyance came successful adjacent proximity to the U.S. Capitol and crowds, causing astir $10,000 successful harm to the Mall.

According to tribunal filings, erstwhile helium was stopped by an serviceman connected foot, Lear rolled down the driver's broadside model and stated, "It's conscionable a joke."

Lear was arrested 2 days aft the incident. Prosecutors said investigators tracked Lear to his location successful Washington, successful portion by tracking the licence sheet of his Jeep.

In tribunal connected Monday, Judge Michael Harvey pressed prosecutors astir whether they had determined immoderate further motive for the attack, oregon immoderate associations betwixt Lear and larger organizations. The Justice Department lawyer told Harvey determination were none.

The June 21 scare comes amid a bid of warnings from homeland information experts astir the hazard of vehicular attacks successful nationalist areas and gatherings. At slightest 14 radical were killed and dozens injured erstwhile an attacker drove astir barricades and hurtled down Bourbon Street successful New Orleans' French Quarter connected New Year's Day.