Proud Boy arrested in 6 January riot wants medical release from prison: ‘Let me go home’
Courts have twice rejected his petitions for medical release
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Your support makes all the difference.A member of the far-right Proud Boys street gang is pleading with authorities to release him from jail on health grounds.
Christopher Worrell has been held since April on charges of pepper spraying a police officer during the 6 January riot at the US Capitol. But authorities have twice denied his petitions for pretrial release, arguing his claims that he’s not getting cancer treatment for his are misleading.
"I have another court hearing coming up soon, and we’re hoping the courts are going to see, but, you know, they’re just, they’re mistreating me," the 49-year-old said in a jailhouse phone interview with Newsmax host Greg Kelly on Tuesday. "They promised me treatment way back in April, and yet here I am, still 166 days later with no treatment, so that’s our plan and our hope that the courts have a little bit of compassion, let me go home to get some medical urgent medical treatment that I need."
Mr Worrell, who was arrested in March in his East Naples, Florida, home, has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer, and claims he hasn’t gotten proper treatment in jail. He also contracted Covid while in detention, and claims that the cancer leaves him immunocompromised and at higher risk of health problems.
"Given the pandemic and acute danger to Mr Worrell, his continued detention amounts to impermissible pretrial punishment," his attorney, Allen Orenberg, wrote earlier this year. "The Government’s interest in securing his appearance at trial does not outweigh his liberty interest in remaining alive and free from harm."
Mr Worrell has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, telling Mr Kelly they were “completely false and fabricated.”
But courts have twice denied the Proud Boy’s requests to be released, citing the fact that he didn’t wear a mask to the riot itself, as well as noting that he has received cancer treatment while behind bars.
"Contrary to defendant’s characterizations, the record reflects that he has received attentive medical care for his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, COVID-19, and other ailments while in custody," US District Court Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in June, denying one of the petitions for release.
Authorities have also noted that Unity Healthcare, the healthcare provider inside Washington, DC jails, hasn’t noted that Mr Worrell’s condition is deteriorating, and prosecutors have previously argued that the Proud Boy isn’t getting his meds because his doctor wasn’t responding to messages from his prison health providers to authorise the treatment.
Prosecutors also argued for his continued detention ahead of trial because he allegedly threatened a witness in the case, posting a message on social media that read, “SO WHOMEVER CALLED THE ‘FEDS’ ON ME REST ASSURED I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS SOON!!"
Nearly 600 people have been arrested in connection with the 6 January insurrection so far.
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