June 18, 2016 Mental Voices Michael Sandford Attempts To Grab Gun Shoot Trump an attempt was made to assassinate the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2016 United States presidential election, Donald Trump, in the final weeks of the Republican presidential primaries. While Trump was speaking at a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, Homeless illegal alien with mental issues Briton Michael Steven Sandford attempted to seize the sidearm of a Las Vegas Metropolitan police officer providing security for the event before being subdued. There were no injuries. Sandford, who had a lengthy history of mental disorders, stated that says voices ordered him to kill and voices in his head were screaming at him to kill.
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- Attempted assassination of Donald Trump - Wikipedia Perpetrator, Michael Steven Sandford. Motive, Prevent Trump from becoming President of the United States. On June 18, 2016, an attempt was made to assassinate the presumptive Republican nominee ...
- Michael Sandford: Everything we know about the British man who ... www.independent.co.uk Jun 21, 2016 - Michael Sandford could be given a prison sentence of up to ten years and fined a maximum of £170,000. ... The British man who allegedly grabbed a police officer's pistol in an attempt to kill Donald Trump at a rally has been described in court as autistic yet competent.
- Michael Sandford - Metapedia Sep 14, 2016 - Michael Steven Sandford (born ca. 1996) is the convicted attempted ...
- Michael Steven Sandford: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know | Heavy.com
- Jun 20, 2016 - Feds say Michael Steven Sandford, who was arrested at Donald Trump's Las Vegas rally, told authorities that he wanted to kill the candidate.
- Michael Sandford - Kings Wiki Mar 26, 2017 - Michael Steven Sandford (born 1995-6) is a British man who came to worldwide attention after attempting to wrest a gun from a security guard ...
Attempted assassination of Donald Trump - Wikipedia 5/9/2017
On June 18, 2016, an attempt was made to assassinate the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2016 United States presidential election, Donald Trump, in the final weeks of the Republican presidential primaries. While Trump was speaking at a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, Briton Michael Steven Sandford attempted to seize the sidearm of a Las Vegas Metropolitan police officer providing security for the event before being subdued. There were no injuries. Sandford, who had a lengthy history of mental disorders, stated that he had wished to kill Trump to prevent him from becoming President.
Sandford was ultimately charged with disrupting an official function and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. On September 13, 2016, he pled guilty to both charges as part of a plea bargain.[4] On December 13, 2016, he was sentenced to 12 months and one day's imprisonment.[5] Sandford was released and deported in May 2017.[6]
Trump was selected as the Republican nominee at the 2016 Republican National Convention on July 18–21. 143 days after the assassination attempt, on November 8, 2016, Trump won the presidential election and subsequently became the 45th President of the United States when he was inaugurated on January 20, 2017.
Contents [hide]
1Perpetrator
2Assassination attempt
3Aftermath
4Public reaction
5BBC documentary
6See also
7References
8External links
Perpetrator[edit]
Michael Steven Sandford (born April 21, 1996 in Dorking, Surrey, England, United Kingdom) is a British citizen. His parents separated when he was five years old, with his mother raising him as a single parent.[7][8]
Sandford attended Powell Corderoy Primary School, where he performed well academically.[7][9] He went on to The Ashcombe School, a co-educationalcommunity comprehensive secondary school, where he struggled socially, ultimately leaving at the age of 15 with no qualifications.[7][9][10]
Sandford was an avid fan of the show Robot Wars. He purchased a number of robots that had appeared on the programme and rebuilt them, competing at roadshows. Sandford sold his collection of robots in 2014.[7][11]
Sandford first developed mental health issues at the age of eight, when he began experiencing hallucinations.[12] He was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the age of thirteen; the specialist who diagnosed him said it was the most severe case she had seen in 30 years.[7] Over the following years, Sandford experienced numerous other mental health issues, including obsessive–compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, claustrophobia, anxiety, and depression; he also suffered from physical ailments including epileptic seizures, cardiovascular disease, tremors, hypersensitivity, and Crohn's disease.[7][13][14][15] Following his arrest, he was diagnosed as being delusional and treated with risperidone (antipsychotic medicine).[14] Sandford was sectioned at the Maudsley Hospital at the age of 14. He remained there for four months, at one point briefly absconding.[3][7]
At the age of 16, Sandford left his mother's home and began living in a rented apartment in Dorking, supporting himself using Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, and Housing Benefit.[7] He later claimed to his mother that at this time he had begun a relationship with a girl who was killed in a car crash while pregnant with Sandford's child on the day after his eighteenth birthday, after which he attempted suicide twice.[7]
In January 2015, Sandford made a two-week trip to New York City in the United States, during which time he had a mental breakdown and was sectioned overnight.[7] Later that year, Sandford returned to the United States on a temporary visa, ostensibly to visit an American girl, Lauren, he had begun a relationship with while she had been visiting the United Kingdom who had since returned to the United States and been imprisoned on drugs charges. Sandford leased an apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey, using funds provided by his parents and grandmother. Over the following months, his family gradually lost contact with him.[10][16] On May 21, Sandford's mother contacted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to report him missing.[7]
Sandford's visa expired on August 30, 2015.[12] At the time of his arrest, he had overstayed his visa by nine months.[3] He had left his apartment in New Jersey and was living in his car, a 2007 BMW 328i, in San Bernardino, California,[11][15][17] supporting himself by working odd jobs.[12]
Assassination attempt[edit]
A 9mm Glock pistol, the same make and calibre as the weapon Sandford practiced using.
On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump announced that he intended to run for President of the United States. Sandford decided that "if Trump was elected, it would change the world...somebody had to stand up for America."[3] Prior to the assassination attempt, Sandford had displayed no interest in politics.[5] Following his arrest, Sandford expressed to his father his concern about policies of Trump's such as building a wall along the United States-Mexico border and halting immigration to the United States by Muslims,[7] calling Trump a racist.[12]
Sandford spent the following year planning, ultimately deciding to attempt the assassination while Trump was addressing a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 18, 2016. He acquired a ticket for the event, and also reserved a ticket for a subsequent rally to be held in Phoenix, Arizona, in case an opportunity did not arise during the Las Vegas rally.[17]
The Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, the scene of the assassination attempt.
On June 16, 2016, Sandford drove to Las Vegas. He visited Battlefield Vegas, a shooting range, where he practiced shooting using a rented 9mm Glock. This was the first time Sandford had fired a gun. Due to his status as an illegal alien, the hiring of a firearm was in itself illegal.[1]
On the evening of June 17, 2016, Sandford joined a queue at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino for the following day's rally. While waiting in the queue, he conversed with entertainer Gregg Donovan, who felt Sandford had a "strange vibe".
At 9:00 AM the following morning, the rally attendees were allowed into the Mystere Theatre.[1] Due to Trump's political candidacy, the event was under the protection of the United States Secret Service, and magnetometers were used to detect weapons being brought into the venue.[17] As Trump was speaking, Sandford noticed that Ameel Jacob, a police officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who was providing security for the event, appeared to have his 9mm pistol unlocked in its holster. Sandford approached Jacob and engaged him in conversation, saying that he wanted Trump's autograph. While talking to Jacob, Sandford seized Jacob's pistol with both hands and attempted to remove it from its holster. Sandford was immediately subdued by Jacob and other security personnel with no shots fired.[2][14]
After being taken into custody by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Sandford was handed over to the United States Secret Service.[18] After agreeing to waive his Miranda rights, Sandford was then interrogated by Special Agents Hall and Swierkowski, during which time he stated that his intent had been to shoot Trump, and that he would attempt it again if he were able. Sandford also stated that he had expected to be killed during the assassination attempt.[17]
Aftermath[edit]
Following his arrest, Sandford was held in the Nevada Southern Detention Center.[3] Due to his mental health conditions, Sandford was kept in solitary confinement and repeatedly put under suicide watch.[19] His mother expressed fears that conditions in an American prison could compel Sandford to commit suicide.[16] During the course of proceedings, Sandford's attorney, Karen Todner, a British human rights lawyer, also raised concerns about the treatment Sandford might experience in prison in the United States, but noted there was a chance Sandford could serve any sentence he received in the United Kingdom under an existing agreement with the United States.[20]
On June 20, 2016, a complaint was filed with the United States District Court for the District of Nevada charging Sandford with committing an act of violence on restricted ground.[21] Later that month, a federal grand jury concluded that there was sufficient evidence to charge Sandford with three felonies: two counts of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and one count of impeding and disrupting the orderly conduct of government business and official functions.[22] Sandford appeared in a Nevada District Court on June 20, 2016, where he was charged with committing an act of violence on restricted grounds. He was denied bail by judge George Foley on the basis that he presented a flight risk and was a potential danger to the community.[1]
Sandford was arraigned on July 7, 2016, pleading not guilty. His trial was set for August 22, 2016.[22] On September 13, 2016, Sandford pled guilty in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada to charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting an official function. Prior to his trial, Sandford had signed a plea agreement that reduced his maximum sentence from 20 years to 27 months.[13][14] A third charge of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm was dropped.[14] Sandford apologized for his actions, saying "I know saying sorry is not enough. I really do feel awful about what I did. I wish there was some way to make things better. I have cost taxpayers so much money. I feel terrible."[15] Sandford subsequently claimed to have no memory of the assassination attempt.[23]
Sandford was sentenced on December 13, 2016, receiving 12 months and one day's imprisonment. The sentencing judge, James C. Mahan, acknowledged Sandford's mental health issues, stating "I don't think you harbored malice in your heart...You have a medical problem...I don't see you as evil or a sociopath".[5]
In January 2017, Sandford's mother expressed concerns that President Trump would seek to extend Sandford's sentence, and claimed that Sandford was being harassed by "Trump-supporting guards and inmates".[24] In February 2017, Sandford was relocated to a different jail.[8]
Sandford became eligible for early release in April 2017. In May 2017, he was released from prison and deported to the United Kingdom, arriving at Heathrow Airport on May 4, 2017.[6]
Public reaction[edit]
Trump acknowledged the removal of Sandford from the theater, saying "We love you, police. Thank you. Thank you, officers." as Sandford was arrested,[14] but was not aware that Sandford had intended to kill him until seeing it reported on television. When questioned on Fox News as to whether he believed that illegal immigration was related to the assassination attempt, Trump said that "I think that overstaying visas has something to do with it", but focused on immigration from the Middle East in his response.[25][26]
Daniel Bogden, the United States Attorney for the District of Nevada, praised the "attentiveness and quick action" of security personnel in foiling the attempt.[14]
Sandford's father stated that the assassination attempt was entirely out of character for his son and suggested that Sandford had been "put up to do it or blackmailed," or that the attempt was a "cry for help".[10] His mother also suggested that the attempt was a bid for help.[7] His grandmother suggested Sandford was attempting suicide by cop.[7]
The assassination attempt received limited coverage in the American media. Writing in The Washington Post, Callum Borchers suggested that this was due to the "feebly unsophisticated" and "poorly conceived" nature of the attempt (drawing parallels to Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, who made an unsuccessful bid to assassinate Barack Obama in 2011) and due to Trump's disinterest in using the attempt to lobby for increased gun control. Borchers noted, however, that a number of conservative news outlets had made accusations that the media was intentionally providing little coverage of the event.[27]
Following Sandford's arrest, the conservative American political blog Hot Air criticized the media coverage of the event, claiming that the media was "curiously uninterested".[28] Upon Sandford's guilty plea, Hot Air suggested that "[Sandford is] getting off fairly light when you consider he was trying to murder a presidential candidate".[29]
In August 2016, Irish journalist Patrick Cockburn wrote that, had the assassination been successful, it would have "imparted the moral authority of martyrdom to Trump's ideas".[30]
BBC documentary[edit]
A documentary about Sandford and his family by Guy Simmonds, The Brit Who Tried to Kill Trump, was commissioned by the BBC. It aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2017.[19] That same month, the international distribution rights were awarded to Passion Distribution.[31]
See also[edit]
List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots
References[edit]
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Michael E. Miller (June 21, 2016). "British man accused of trying to kill Trump acted 'weird' and 'nervous' before rally". Chicago Tribune. tronc. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Matt Dean; Associated Press (September 13, 2016). "British man who tried to attack Trump in Las Vegas enters guilty plea". Fox News. Fox Entertainment Group. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Mark Wilding (July 7, 2016). "What we know about the man who allegedly tried to kill Trump". Vice News. Vice Media. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ Associated Press (September 13, 2016). "British man pleads guilty to plan to shoot Trump at Las Vegas rally". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c "Briton jailed over Trump death plot". BBC News Online. BBC. December 13, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Isabel Dobinson (May 5, 2017). "Donald Trump assassination attempt: Michael Sandford returns home after serving sentence". Surrey Advertiser. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Simon Hattenstone (July 30, 2016). "'They said my son intended to assassinate Donald Trump. And my world just stopped'". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Tom Van Klaveren (April 19, 2017). "Donald Trump assassination attempt: Michael Sandford looking forward to seeing Dorking landmark upon his release". Surrey Advertiser. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b "Trump suspect Michael Sandford was a 'very quiet lad'". BBC News Online. BBC. June 21, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c "Havant man's son held for Donald Trump assassination bid". The News. Johnston Press. June 21, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Robert Mendick; Patrick Sawer (June 22, 2016). "Briton accused of trying to kill Donald Trump was a Robot Wars obsessive". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d Ben Botkin (December 13, 2016). "British man gets 1 year in prison for trying to kill Trump at Las Vegas rally". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Press Association (September 12, 2016). "Briton accused of trying to shoot Donald Trump 'to admit lesser charges'". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Ken Ritter (September 13, 2016). "British man pleads guilty to plan to shoot Trump at Las Vegas rally". The San Diego Union-Tribune. tronc. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c Chris Johnston (December 13, 2016). "Briton Michael Sandford jailed over plan to shoot Donald Trump". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Priyanka Mogul (June 21, 2016). "Mother fears Briton arrested for Donald Trump assassination attempt might commit suicide". International Business Times. IBT Media. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d Daniel Levine (June 20, 2016). "Michael Steven Sandford: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ "Who is Michael Sandford? What we know about UK man arrested in alleged Trump shooting attempt". International Business Times. IBT Media. July 5, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Nell Frizzell (January 27, 2017). "'He never even watched the news' – the Brit who tried to kill Trump". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ DailyMail (17 July 2016). "MP's bid to save Briton who tried to kill Trump as family plea for him to be deported from the US to the UK for psychiatric treatment". Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- Jump up^ Agence France-Presse/Reuters (June 21, 2016). "British national Michael Sandford charged over attempt to kill Donald Trump at Las Vegas rally". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Nicky Woolf (July 7, 2016). "British man pleads not guilty to charges in Donald Trump assassination attempt". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ William Watkinson (September 21, 2016). "Autistic Briton who grabbed gun in attempt to shoot Donald Trump says incident was a 'blur'". International Business Times. IBT Media. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ "Trump death plot Briton 'fears jail term extension'". BBC News Online. BBC. January 25, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ Adam Edelman (June 22, 2016). "Donald Trump says he learned of would-be assassin at Las Vegas rally on TV — 'Better off' that Secret Service didn't tell me". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- Jump up^ Uygur, Cenk (June 22, 2016), Trump's Curious Reaction To Assassination Attempt, The Young Turks, retrieved February 2, 2017
- Jump up^ Callum Borchers (June 21, 2016). "Why isn't the assassination attempt on Donald Trump bigger news?". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
- Jump up^ Jazz Shaw (June 21, 2016). "Our media seems curiously uninterested in the attempted assassination of Trump". Hot Air. Salem Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ Jazz Shaw (September 14, 2016). "Guy who tried to shoot Trump to get two years jail and deportation?". Hot Air. Salem Media Group. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- Jump up^ Patrick Cockburn (8 November 2016). Terrorism in Europe: In the Crosshairs Again. Mango Media. pp. 294–296. ISBN 978-1-63353-448-3.
- Jump up^ Stewart Clarke (January 23, 2017). "Passion releasing The Boy Who Tried to Kill Trump". TBIVision.com. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
External links[edit]
Man who tried to assassinate Trump says voices ordered him to kill 9news.com.au Tuesday, May 9, 2017 UK man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump by grabbing a police officer’s gun has told how voices in his head were screaming at him to kill the then US presidential candidate. Michael Sandford got within six metres of Trump at a Republican rally in Las Vegas last June when he lunged for the guard’s pistol but it got stuck in the holster. “They’d been coming on for a while and getting stronger and more frequent. At one point they were screaming at me." Sandford – who suffers from mental illness and was having a psychotic episode - was pushed to the ground and arrested by Secret Service agents.
Trump accused Michael Sandford 'relieved' at sentence - BBC News
www.bbc.com/news/uk-38315462
Dec 14, 2016 - The mother of Michael Sandford describes her son's relief at his jail term for trying to assassinate Donald Trump.
Briton Michael Sandford jailed over plan to shoot Donald Trump | US ...
https://www.theguardian.com › US News › Donald Trump
Dec 13, 2016 - Police remove Michael Sandford after he attempted to grab a police officer's gun at a Trump rally in Las Vegas. Photograph: John Locher/AP.
Why the autistic 'would-be' Donald Trump assassin' Michael Sandford ...
www.independent.co.uk/.../donald-trump-assassin-michael-sandford-never-be-in-jail-...
Dec 16, 2016 - Custody has been 'torture'. When in isolation, his mum Lynne Sandford says he is locked up 24 hours a day and seven days a week, is stripped ...
Michael Sandford: Man who tried to shoot Donald Trump is 'broken' in ...
www.independent.co.uk › News › World › Americas
Aug 10, 2016 - The 20-year-old would-be assassin of Donald Trump is "broken" in prison, according to his mother.
Michael Sandford: Everything we know about the British man who ...
www.independent.co.uk › News › World › Americas
Jun 21, 2016 - Michael Sandford, from Dorking in Surrey, was arrested at a rally for the presumptive Republican nominee at the Treasure Island hotel and ...
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