Armed man arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland home

An armed man who made threats against Justice Brett Kavanaugh was taken into custody near the justice’s house in Maryland early Wednesday, Associated Press reported, quoting Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe.

The man, who is from California, arrived near Kavanaugh’s home in a taxi and was stopped near the residence by authorities. 

“At approximately 1:50 a.m. today, a man was arrested near Justice Kavanaugh’s residence. The man was armed and made threats against Justice Kavanaugh. He was transported to Montgomery County Police 2nd District,” the Supreme Court said in a statement. 

Also Read: Pro-abortion protestors strip down to underwear amid Roe v Wade turmoil

The man was reportedly upset by a draft opinion that was leaked last month suggesting the court is about to overrule Roe v. Wade, the court’s landmark abortion case. He was also said to be upset over recent mass shootings, The Washington Post reported.

The draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel A Alito Jr, stated, 

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

“The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives,” read the draft.  

Also Read: Why LGBTQ community is concerned over possible Roe v Wade overturning

Following the draft leak, the Supreme Court was under temporary lockdown and nine Supreme Court justices were given extra security as people protested outside their homes. Reports suggested that the justices’ home locations were shared online and they were receiving personal phone threats. 

“The risk is real. The U.S. Marshals Service is there to provide protection for judges in the federal judiciary, but it’s not enough,” Republican Sen. John Cornyn said at the time.