Robert J. O’Neill, a former Navy SEAL who claimed responsibility for the 2011 shooting and killing of Osama bin Laden, was taken into custody in Frisco, Texas.
According to The Dallas Morning News, O’Neill, 47 years old, was apprehended in Frisco on Aug. 23, 2023. He faces charges that include a Class A misdemeanor for assault causing bodily injury and a Class C misdemeanor for public intoxication. He was in the North Texas area to record a podcast at a cigar lounge.
O’Neill was released on a $3,500 bond the same day. Local Profile attempted to contact the Frisco Police Department but did not receive a response prior to publishing.
Update Aug. 29, 2023 8:30 a.m. According to records obtained by The Dallas Morning News, O’Neill is accused of assaulting an Omni Frisco Hotel security officer while intoxicated. Reports show he also called the officer a racial slur when the guard took O'Neill to his hotel room after falling asleep at the bar.
After being struck, the officer called the police for assistance and O’Neill allegedly attempted to unlock a hotel room with a credit card. Police arrested him, believing he was a danger to himself and to others.
O’Neill took to X (Twitter) and denied the allegations of using a racial slur.
Original story continues below.
From Montana, O’Neill initially said in 2014 that he was the one who discharged the fatal rounds that ended bin Laden's life in 2011. The U.S. government hasn't validated nor contradicted this assertion.
O'Neill told The Washington Post he was the undisclosed SEAL who entered bin Laden's bedroom ahead of the others that night. This version of events was corroborated by two additional SEALs. He chose to speak out almost two years following fellow team member Matt Bissonnette's release of a controversial narrative about the raid in his book, No Easy Day.
A veteran of SEAL Team 6, O’Neill boasts two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars and a Joint Service Commendation Medal to his name. He also wrote a memoir titled The Operator, chronicling his experiences in the military.
According to the Montana Standard, in 2016, DUI charges against O’Neill were dismissed by prosecutors in Montana. It was decided that the charge resulted from prescription medication he was taking to address a condition linked to his military service.
In 2020, O’Neill was banned from Delta flights after posting a maskless selfie of himself on a flight with a vulgar caption. O'Neill deleted the photo, but it gained viral attention — including attention from the airline. He also tweeted, "Thank God it wasn't @Delta flying us in when we killed bin Laden... we weren't wearing masks..."
