PROVO, UTAH: Craig Robertson, 75, was killed by FBI agents at his house on Wednesday in Provo, Utah, which is an hour from Salt Lake City after making threatening posts on Facebook against President Joe Biden.
In a fresh statement, his family voiced their outrage and referred to the Utah man's death as "senseless." Robertson is described in the statement as a devout father and brother who enjoyed making children's toys as a pastime.
"The Craig Robertson we knew was a kind and generous person who was always willing to assist another in need, even when advanced age, limited mobility and other physical challenges made it more difficult and painful for him to do so," the release stated.
What did Craig Robertson's family say about his death?
Robertson's family members dubbed his social media usage as "intemperate," but they added that he would have never used violence against another person due to a difference of opinion on issues of politics or philosophy.
The Salt Lake Tribune quoted neighbor Andrew Maunder as saying that Robertson "definitely had his political views, which he was very public about on Facebook," echoing that viewpoint. "But I think deep down, he was just a cranky old guy who was harmless."
Another neighbor, Connor Bunch, told New York Post that the tragedy left their community in shock and referred to Robertson as a "teddy bear." "I don't think he was even given a chance to even see a warrant when they went in and raided house," he added.
'Loved this country with all his heart'
"As an elderly- and largely homebound-man, there was very little he could do but exercise his First Amendment right to free speech and voice his protest in what has become the public square of our age — the internet and social media," Robertson's family also mentioned in their statement.
Robertson's family praised his patriotism, saying that he "loved this country with all his heart."
The family ended by stating that they "hold no personal animosity" toward the agents engaged in the raid and requesting privacy while they are in mourning.
'They could have arrested'
In the meanwhile, many people have shown sympathy for his family and were against what had been done. A user tweeted, "Sad. Very nice statement about their loved on. Craig Robertson didn’t need to die. FBI overreach."
Another user said, "They knew about his posts, and they knew he was not a threat - heck, even in the photo it is obvious he can not move well. They could have arrested and charged him for his threatening comments without incident - they chose to execute him."
"He could barely stand," wrote another. "They could have arrested him if they wanted to, but they didn’t. They wanted to provoke him into a situation where they could execute him," tweeted another.
