Grand jury rejects charges against DC lawyer accused of assaulting, threatening National Guard

Source: WSUA9

A federal grand jury has declined to indict a D.C. lawyer accused of assaulting and threatening members of the National Guard, WUSA9 has learned.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office informed a magistrate judge Tuesday that grand jurors had returned a no true bill for Paul Anthony Bryant, according to two people familiar with the matter. The rejection is at least the eighth time in the last month a grand jury has declined to charge felonies sought by Pirro’s office.

Bryant was arrested roughly an hour-and-a-half after an alleged Aug. 24 incident involving members of the National Guard who were patrolling on 14th Street Northwest as part of President Donald Trump’s federal surge in D.C. In an affidavit filed in federal court, investigators accused Bryant of approaching the Guardsmen while yelling things, including “These are our streets!” and, allegedly, “I’ll kill you.” Before leaving the area, according to the affidavit, Bryant “threw his left shoulder” into one of the Guardsmen’s shoulders.

Bryant, a graduate of West Point and Columbia Law School, told a judge the charges were “baseless” and derided prosecutors for filing a case predicated on hearsay. Because members of the National Guard patrolling D.C. do not wear body cameras, Bryant’s attorney said there is no video of the alleged incident.



Read more: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/jury-rejects-charges-against-dc-lawyer-accused-of-assaulting-threatening-national-guard-paul-bryant/65-fa7df8d8-1447-4f82-94a3-ad572f4e6400

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Prosecutors accused Paul Anthony Bryant of assaulting and yelling threatening statements at members of the National Guard in D.C. as part of President Trump's surge.

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