Rep. Jasmine Crockett broke her silence on her bodyguard who was shot and killed following a standoff with Dallas police, saying there was “never any reason to suspect that he wasn’t who he held himself out to be.”
Diamon-Maziarre Robinson, 39, died Wednesday night after he led law enforcement on a car chase, refused orders to leave his vehicle and finally emerged brandishing a gun. He was shot by multiple officers; police say the shooting was justified.
The Dallas Police Department said Monday that Mr. Robinson was driving a car with stolen government license plates and had 11 weapons in his possession, including one that was stolen.
Mr. Robinson’s criminal record included several felony warrants, a parole violation warrant and multiple arrests for theft. He was the subject of a federal investigation, in which he was wanted for impersonating a law enforcement officer, CBS News Texas reported.
Ms. Crockett, a Democrat who represents portions of Dallas County, said Monday that an initial review by her team had shown a “limited criminal history” for Mr. Robinson, but they were unable to find any violent offenses. The lawmaker and her staff knew Mr. Robinson as “Mike King.”
Ms. Crockett lost her bid for the U.S. Senate earlier this month to state Rep. James Talarico in the Democratic primary.
Despite his background, Mr. Robinson was using the alias “Mike King,” along with several other names, while running Off Duty Police Services, a business that placed North Texas officers in off‑duty jobs.
Officers who used his business told CBS News Texas that Mr. Robinson, who they knew as Mike King, said he was a detective with U.S. Capitol Police, potentially leading to the federal investigation that resulted in the manhunt.
Ms. Crockett defended the hiring process that employed her former security guard. She said that her team followed all protocols outlined by the House to contract additional security, having been approved to use the vendor that worked closely with law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Capitol Police.
“The fact that an individual was able to somehow circumvent the vetting processes for something as sensitive as security for members of Congress highlights the loopholes and shortcomings in many of our systems,” she said in a statement. “This is incredibly alarming, especially for those members who receive high volumes of credible and sophisticated death threats.”
Ms. Crockett said that “we are fortunate that this is someone who used those loopholes without malice.”
“He never endangered our team, worked diligently, coordinated with local law enforcement, and maintained positive relationships throughout the community. Mike always conducted himself respectfully and with care for those around him,” the statement reads.
