WASHINGTON – Shackled with his hands behind him, wearing shorts and barefoot, veteran and activist Adam Kokesh was ordered held without bond on two felony drug charges in court Thursday morning.
Kokesh, a controversial activist seen loading a gun on video in D.C. last week, appeared before a camera in a wheelchair during his arraignment at a Fairfax County courthouse.
“He happened to be in a wheeled chair because he did not want to walk,” said 1st Lt Steve Elbert, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office.
He refused to speak to the judge who asked him if he was Adam Kokesh.
The judge appointed a public defender for Kokesh.
Kokesh was to be arraigned Wednesday but he refused to get out of his cell, be photographed and fingerprinted following his Tuesday night arrest.
The arrest came after U.S. Park Police searched Kokesh’s home Tuesday evening.
A blog post on Kokesh’s website said he had been arrested.
The post notes that the Herndon police “assisted in the armed invasion” and the officers “used a battering ram to knock in the door after two knocks, and did not announce that they had a warrant.”
A flash bang grenade was also used, according to Kokesh’s website.
Kokesh faces two drug charges, including one involving possession of a firearm. The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Department tells WTOP the charges are possession of a Schedule 1 or 2 drug and possession of a Schedule 1 or 2 drug while in possession of a firearm.
Kokesh is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
On July 4 a video was posted on YouTube showing Kokesh loading a shotgun in D.C’s Freedom Plaza, which is against the law in the District.
U.S Park Police and Herndon police tell WTOP they were at his home in Herndon, Va. Tuesday night, July 9, serving the search warrant.
Roads were blocked off near Kokesh’s home on Snowflake Court and his neighbors were told to stay inside.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
