Photo: Jim Vondruska / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Rep. Jasmine Crockett says a man she knew as “Mike King” and who had worked on her security detail was the person killed last week during a police standoff in Dallas.
Crockett said in a statement shared to social media that she was “shocked by some of the concerning revelations” surrounding the death of Diamon-Mazairre Robinson, 39, who authorities say was using the alias Mike King while working in private security. She added Robinson had been part of her security detail “for years,” and that there had been no reason to suspect he was not who he claimed to be.
Dallas police say Robinson was confronted in the parking garage of Children’s Medical Center Dallas while officers were trying to arrest him on outstanding warrants. Police said he barricaded himself inside a vehicle, tear gas was deployed, and Robinson was later shot after he emerged and pointed a gun at officers. Local reporting from CBS News Texas and FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth said police later identified him as Robinson and said he had multiple felony warrants.
Crockett said her office followed House protocols when contracting outside security and that the vendor Robinson worked through had also done work involving other entities and law enforcement coordination, including with Capitol Police. She called it “incredibly alarming” that someone was able to get through the vetting process while allegedly hiding key parts of his identity and past.
Still, Crockett also made clear that the man she and her team knew did not match the allegations now surfacing.
“There was never any reason to suspect that he wasn’t who he held himself out to be,” she said, according to USA TODAY. “He never endangered our team, worked diligently, coordinated with law enforcement, and maintained positive relationships throughout the community.”
She added that an internal review of what was then known about his background did not show violent offenses. As a former public defender, Crockett said she believes people are “more than the worst thing they’ve ever done,” but also acknowledged that the full picture now coming into view is difficult to reconcile with the person her team thought they knew.
Dallas police released body camera footage Monday (March 16) and said investigators found 11 weapons connected to Robinson, including at least one stolen gun, along with fake police-style equipment and documents that raised more questions about how he presented himself professionally, according to FOX 4 and CBS News Texas. Reporting from those outlets also said Robinson had been under investigation for impersonating law enforcement and had operated in security circles under aliases.
The case has now raised broader questions about how private security workers tied to elected officials are screened, particularly at a time when members of Congress face rising threats. Crockett said the situation points to serious gaps in the system, especially for lawmakers who deal with “high volumes of credible and sophisticated death threats.”
For Crockett, the story is now sitting in two places at once: the loss of someone her team knew, and the unsettling reality of what authorities say they are still uncovering about him.
“We’re still learning the full story,” she said. “But today we mourn a life lost. This is a tragic ending that we wish had been avoided for all.”
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