Trump supporters who stormed US Capitol & seen in viral photos arrested, charged

There were both attention-grabbing rioters and those who concealed their identity.

Sulaiman Daud | January 10, 2021, 03:40 PM

Perhaps breaking into one of the most famous buildings in the world, taking selfies and not wearing masks either for Covid-19 protection or to conceal one's identity was not the most intelligent of decisions.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has set up a website where members of the public can send in tips and information leading to the identification of suspects in the US Capitol attack by pro-Trump protesters on Jan. 7 (Singapore time).

Given that a large number of them were not wearing masks, and in some cases, were caught on video giving their names and addresses, this was not particularly difficult.

Lectern guy

According to ABC, Adam Johnson of Parrish, Florida was identified as the man who allegedly stole the lectern of the Speaker of the House.

He has been arrested for allegedly:

  • Entering restricted grounds without authority.
  • Stealing government property.
  • Displaying violent conduct.

"Chewbacca bikini"

The New York Times reported that Jake Angeli was identified as the man wearing a fur headdress and horns and carrying a spear with the American flag tied to it.

Angeli, a conspiracy theorist and a "fixture" at previous pro-Trump rallies, went viral after a tweet by Yousef Munayyer referred to him as the "guy in the Chewbacca bikini."

He has been arrested and charged.

Guy with feet up at Nancy Pelosi's desk

A man who was photographed sitting in the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, with his feet up on the desk, has also been arrested.

According to the Washington PostRichard Barnett identified himself to a reporter .

He later told a TV camera crew that he had taken an envelope from the Speaker's office because he had gotten some blood on it, but left a quarter on the desk because he was "not a thief."

Violence could have been worse

Although these suspects may have been relatively easy to identify, a police officer who was at the Capitol Building interviewed by Buzzfeed News said they overshadowed other intruders who seemed more well-organised and could have more violent intentions during the attack.

"That was a heavily trained group of militia terrorists that attacked us.

They had radios, we found them, they had two-way communicators and earpieces. They had bear spray. They had flash bangs...they were prepared.

They strategically put two IEDs, pipe bombs in two different locations. These guys were military trained. A lot of them were former military."

Five people died during the attack, including police officer Brian Sicknick who was hit in the head, allegedly with a fire extinguisher.

Pipe bombs were found in the offices of the Republican and Democrat National Committees, and a man was arrested and charged with the possession of eleven Molotov cocktails near the Capitol Building.

Former military officer seen in Senate Chamber

But other pro-Trump protesters concealed their identities.

One man was seen wearing tactical gear, carrying plastic zip ties and covering his entire face.

A retired Air Force Lt. Colonel, Larry Rendall Brock Jr., identified himself as another man seen wearing tactical gear and carrying plastic zip ties, having breached the Senate Chamber.

He told the New Yorker that he was the same man in the photos and videos, and denied seeing any violence. He added that he assumed he was welcome to enter the building.

Brock said he had gone to Washington DC to demonstrate peacefully, and was opposed to vandalising the Capitol Building.

As for the handcuffs, he claimed that he found them on the floor and intended to hand them over to a police officer, but later forgot about them.

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Top image from Getty Images.