Wolverine Watchmen
Michigan State Police alleged the group was founded by Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico, who are both facing state charges for their involvement in the plot to kidnap and potentially harm the governor, and started recruiting members over Facebook. Michigan State Police said Morrison was considered the group’s “commander” and is known by the online moniker “Boogaloo Bunyan."
Not much is known about the Wolverine Watchmen, who don’t appear to have a group-specific online presence, but according to a report from the Washington Post, a Facebook page for the group was removed this summer as part of a crackdown on groups and pages promoting political violence.
According to federal court documents, a Michigan police department notified the FBI of the group’s activities in March 2020 after members of the militia allegedly attempted to find the home addresses of local law enforcement officers.
An affidavit from Michigan State Police allege the group was then planning on targeting officers in their homes.
Federal court filings show a member of the militia told the FBI he was concerned about the group’s plans to target and kill police, saying he then started working as an informant for the investigation and helped foil the plans to kidnap Whitmer and overthrow the state government.
Affidavits from the FBI and Michigan State Police said, at times, the group had discussed storming the state capital and inciting a second civil war.
Court documents allege the Wolverine Watchmen started recruiting members in November 2020, shortly after the show premiered.
Militia experts from Vanderbilt University and the University of Michigan, as well as a former FBI agent with 30 years experience, said there hasn’t been a link from the show to the militia group, but added militia and extremist groups sometimes get ideas from popular culture.
Over the course of the plot, Michigan State Police alleged Morrison and Musico hosted training sessions at their joint residence in Munith, Michigan. During one training session, the FBI said a militia member was seen making an improvised explosive device. The affidavit said members of the militia group would periodically meet for “field training exercises” in remote areas where they took part in firearms training and tactical drills to prepare for the “boogaloo,” a slang reference to a politically-motivated future civil war.
Michigan State Police alleged the group was founded by Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico, who are both facing state charges for their involvement in the plot to kidnap and potentially harm the governor, and started recruiting members over Facebook. Michigan State Police said Morrison was considered the group’s “commander” and is known by the online moniker “Boogaloo Bunyan."
Not much is known about the Wolverine Watchmen, who don’t appear to have a group-specific online presence, but according to a report from the Washington Post, a Facebook page for the group was removed this summer as part of a crackdown on groups and pages promoting political violence.
According to federal court documents, a Michigan police department notified the FBI of the group’s activities in March 2020 after members of the militia allegedly attempted to find the home addresses of local law enforcement officers.
An affidavit from Michigan State Police allege the group was then planning on targeting officers in their homes.
Federal court filings show a member of the militia told the FBI he was concerned about the group’s plans to target and kill police, saying he then started working as an informant for the investigation and helped foil the plans to kidnap Whitmer and overthrow the state government.
Affidavits from the FBI and Michigan State Police said, at times, the group had discussed storming the state capital and inciting a second civil war.
Court documents allege the Wolverine Watchmen started recruiting members in November 2020, shortly after the show premiered.
Militia experts from Vanderbilt University and the University of Michigan, as well as a former FBI agent with 30 years experience, said there hasn’t been a link from the show to the militia group, but added militia and extremist groups sometimes get ideas from popular culture.
Over the course of the plot, Michigan State Police alleged Morrison and Musico hosted training sessions at their joint residence in Munith, Michigan. During one training session, the FBI said a militia member was seen making an improvised explosive device. The affidavit said members of the militia group would periodically meet for “field training exercises” in remote areas where they took part in firearms training and tactical drills to prepare for the “boogaloo,” a slang reference to a politically-motivated future civil war.
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