Man Arrested for Wanting to ‘Execute Local Politicians’ Was Deep into Conspiracy Culture

A Newfoundland man who allegedly told police he was going to “execute local politicians” after leading officers on a high-speed chase in a truck full of knives 'appears to have had a social media profile full of wild right-wing conspiracies.   

George Brake, 66,  was on his way to “stop the election” when he was arrested, police said. (Newfoundland is currently in the midst of a provincial election campaign.) RCMP said that they first became aware of Brake when they received a call on January 26 regarding a man behaving “erratically,” making political statements, and talking about firearms. 

The RCMP found Brake in his truck and he then allegedly led them on a 10-minute chase to the town of Deer Lake that ended at a building that had a Progressive Conservative candidate's office, CBC Newfoundland reports.

“At that time Mr. Brake threatened to execute local politicians,” said RCMP spokesperson Jolene Garlan at a Wednesday press conference. Inside his truck they found a bounty of knives, 36 in total—some even had blades over half a foot long. 

"They ranged in size, shape, style," Garland said. "They were certainly capable ... of carrying out any serious threats."

A Facebook page associated with Brake shows a deep interest in right-wing conspiracies and anti-lockdown rhetoric. The Brake account posted sometimes over 40 or 50 times a day, with conspiracy content making up a significant majority of the posts. It ceased posting on January 10.

The posts included shares from  from sites like Infowars and pro-Trump outlet One America News Network, Facebook videos from various pro-Trump influencers, or posts from fringe conspiracy accounts. Several posts indicate he believed that Trump didn’t step down but handed over the reins to the military—a theory popular in QAnon—and that the Capitol Hill riot was an Antifa false flag operation. He’s also shared numerous posts that call into question the legitimacy of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of masks, and amplified messages by Canadian anti-lockdown groups. 

There were also several darker posts  alleging a demonic New World Order. One of the YouTube videos he shared was called: “The Elite Torture Children & Drink Their Adrenalised Blood.” Another page he shared—“Stopping Satanic World Government.” 

Brake was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, dangerous operation of a vehicle and flight from a police officer on Wednesday. RCMP said all local candidates in Deer Lake were a target, including Premier Andrew Furey.  Furey told Global News that police told him he was a “likely target” and the threats against him were “very troubling.” 

In July, Corey Hurren, who shared similar conspiracy content as the account associated with Brake, including direct references to QAnon, was arrested after allegedly ramming the gates of Rideau Hall, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives. Hurron had four loaded firearms with him at the time of his arrest but claimed he wanted to merely “speak” to Trudeau. 

Brake remains in police custody.

Follow Mack Lamoureux on Twitter.