Rep. Jasmine Crockett Deflects Questions on Bodyguard Killed After Dallas SWAT Standoff
Fox News reports that Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, refused to answer follow-up questions Wednesday about why her office hired a long‑time security guard who had a criminal history and was killed in an armed standoff with Dallas police SWAT last week in the garage of a children’s hospital. The guard, identified as 39‑year‑old Diamon‑Mazairre Robinson, also known as “Mike King,” had prior run‑ins with the law for theft, probation violations and impersonating law enforcement; Dallas authorities say they recovered 11 firearms while investigating him on an active warrant. Crockett says Robinson worked for her office “for years,” that she knew him only as Mike King, and that her team followed all House protocols to contract him as additional security, noting he also worked for other local entities and with law‑enforcement agencies, including Capitol Police. In a written statement, she called the new revelations about his background “saddening and shocking” and argued his ability to “circumvent the vetting processes” exposes loopholes in current security checks for members of Congress. The episode raises broader questions about how congressional offices vet private security contractors and what responsibility lawmakers bear when those personnel turn out to have undisclosed criminal histories.
📌 Key Facts
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett declined to answer questions on March 18 (Wednesday) about her office’s hiring of Diamon‑Mazairre Robinson as a bodyguard, referring reporters only to a prior written statement.
- Robinson, 39, known to Crockett as 'Mike King,' was killed in a SWAT standoff last week after barricading himself in a children’s hospital garage while Dallas police sought to detain him on an active warrant.
- Local authorities say Robinson had a criminal record including theft, probation violations and impersonating law enforcement, and that 11 firearms were recovered in the course of their investigation.
- Crockett’s office says it followed House protocols for contracting additional security and that Robinson had been approved as a vendor who also worked for other community entities and with law‑enforcement agencies such as Capitol Police.
- Crockett’s statement argues Robinson’s case shows 'loopholes and shortcomings' in vetting systems for sensitive security roles protecting members of Congress.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, Black or African American individuals made up 36.0% of employed security guards and gambling surveillance officers in the US, compared to approximately 13.6% of the total US population, indicating an overrepresentation in this occupation.
Employed people by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
In 2019, Black or African American individuals accounted for 26.6% of all arrests in the US, while comprising about 13% of the population, resulting in a per capita arrest rate roughly 2.5 times higher than that of White individuals (who accounted for 69.4% of arrests and about 76% of the population including Hispanics classified as White).
Crime in the U.S. 2019 - Table 43 — Federal Bureau of Investigation
Most states require background, criminal record, and fingerprint checks for armed security guards, but loopholes in federal or congressional vetting processes can allow individuals with records to be hired, as highlighted in cases involving sensitive security roles.
Security Guards and Gambling Surveillance Officers — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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