Police Foil Possible Terror Truck Attack Outside Washington

VOA News
9 April 2019 (3:30AM)

A man in the U.S. state of Maryland has been arrested for an alleged Islamic State-inspired terror plot to run down pedestrians with a truck.

Federal prosecutors are set to argue in a court appearance Tuesday that 28-year-old Rondell Henry should remain in detention pending trial.

They said in a court filing ahead of the hearing that there are no conditions under which Henry could be freed and be assured of returning for future court appearances, and that he represents a threat to the community.

Prosecutors allege Henry stole a truck from a suburban Washington shopping mall last month and drove around looking for terror targets.

After failing to breach security at Dulles International Airport, Henry is accused of driving to the National Harbor in Maryland — a Potomac River walkway lined with shops and restaurants, highly popular with tourists. But in the court filing, the prosecutors say Henry did not find a large enough crowd for his desired act and decided to wait until later.

Police arrested Henry the next morning after he climbed out of a docked boat in which he hid all night and jumped over a security fence.

The government says Henry planned to drive the stolen truck over pedestrians. He allegedly told police, "I was just going to keep driving and driving and driving. I wasn't going to stop."

Prosecutors allege Henry was inspired by the 2016 ISIS truck attack in Nice, France, that killed 86 people.

They say Henry has a "hatred for those who do not practice the Muslim faith" and wanted to emulate those he saw in videos beheading civilians and fighting overseas.

So far, Henry faces charges of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. It is not clear if he will face additional charges.