WATCH: Michigan Sheriff Says Maybe Plotters Were Trying to ‘Arrest’ Whitmer in Jaw-Dropping Interview
Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf suggested that perhaps the brothers who tried to kidnap and kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) were just trying to arrest her, and even cited a statute during a jaw-dropping interview with FOX 17’s Aaron Parseghian.
The interview comes after news broke that the FBI thwarted a plot by militia group Wolverine Watchmen to attack Whitmer, instigate a civil war, and “target” law enforcement officials. All men suspected to be involved in the planned attack have been arrested, including brothers Michael and William Null.
The Null brothers, whose West Michigan homes were raided Wednesday night, were often seen at local demonstrations protesting Whitmer’s stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic.
William was even spotted on stage with Leaf at one of the protests — a topic brought up by Parseghian as he interviewed the sheriff.
WXYZ 7’s Ross Jones took to Twitter to share the wild interview:
h/t to @AaronParseghian of our sister station in Grand Rapids.
— Ross Jones (@rossjonesWXYZ) October 9, 2020
“I haven’t read everything up on it, I’ve got other duties to do, it wasn’t our investigation,” Leaf said about the militia plot. “I was shocked, did not see this coming with those guys, but still we can’t convict them in the media here, they do have a right to a fair trial.”
“Do you have any regrets about being on stage, sharing a stage with a guy who’s now being charged in a plot to kidnap the governor?” Parseghian asked later.
“It’s just a charge, and they say a ‘plot to kidnap’ and you got to remember that. Are they trying to kidnap? Because a lot of people are angry with the governor, and they want her arrested,” Leaf replied. “So are they trying to arrest or was it a kidnap attempt? Because you can still in Michigan if it’s a felony, make a felony arrest.”
Leaf went on to praise the Null brothers as nice and respectful gentlemen — adding that he does feel bad for Whitmer and that nobody should be threatened with violence.
“The two gentlemen that I know of from my county, were they involved in that? I don’t know. They’re innocent till proven guilty. And we really, really should be careful, trying to try them in the media,” he said.
Watch above, via FOX 17’s
