Provo man killed by FBI agents once confronted workers, officer with gun

Dec 14, 2023

PROVO, Utah — Newly obtained police reports show that Craig Deleeuw Robertson, the man who was shot and killed last week by FBI agents, had a history of brandishing guns when others were on his property — "recklessly," but not illegally, according to police.

Robertson, age 75, allegedly pointed a handgun at FBI agents who arrived at his home in Provo early Wednesday morning to serve warrants over alleged threats made against President Joe Biden and others on social media. Agents then shot and killed him.

FOX 13 News obtained a police report from an incident in 2018 involving Robertson. He was not arrested, but he did cause a brief "standoff" with an officer who responded to the original complaint from an internet service worker, the document said.

On Aug. 20, 2018, two Google Fiber employees were sent to connect one of Robertson's neighbors to the internet service. The workers said they knocked on Robertson's door and rang his doorbell to let him know that they would be working in his yard and "using the public easement" in order to access the utility pole on his property. He didn't answer, and they proceeded to his backyard and prepared to start the job.

The workers said Robertson then came out of his back door and yelled at them to get off his property while holding a handgun. They said he was waving the gun around, "causing the muzzle to point in their direction." The two men then left Robertson's yard and called Provo Police to report that they were threatened with a gun.

When an officer responded to Robertson's home, he opened his door and yelled something, but the officer said he couldn't hear him through the storm door. The officer grabbed the storm door handle and attempted to open it so he could speak with Robertson, and he said Robertson then backed into his home and yelled at the officer to not enter. The officer said he saw that Robertson had an AR-15 slung over his shoulder.

The officers said he asked Robertson to put the gun down, but he initially refused. He eventually "calmed down," the report says, and agreed to put the rifle away and speak with the officer.

Robertson said he didn't answer the door because he was doing laundry and was not fully clothed. Once he got dressed, he said he heard the workers open his side gate and was angry that they left it open because his dog could get out. He said he was holding a gun, but holding it against his body with the muzzle down. He claimed he did not threaten them with it. The officer also wrote in the report that the way Robertson was holding his rifle indicated that he was in control of the firearm and likely had training.

The officer then contacted his sergeant and explained what happened, but said he believed that Robertson hadn't committed any crime. The officer wrote that Robertson was "exercising his 2nd Amendment rights, albeit a little recklessly." The sergeant agreed and had the officer check with the on-call county attorney to make sure. The attorney agreed that Robertson "may not have exercised good judgment but was acting within his Constitutional Rights."

The officer then informed Robertson of the decision and stood by while the Google Fiber workers completed their job.

About Us