United States: new indictments after violence on Capitol Hill

Charges continue after Wednesday’s violence at the Capitol. The US Department of Justice said three new people, whose faces had been widely reported, have been charged. Among them is Jacob Anthony Chansley, aka Jake Angeli, the shirtless, buffalo horned and painted conspirator who had magnetized photographers and cameras across Capitol Hill, was arrested and charged with unlawful trespassing and violent conduct in Capitol, the ministry said in a statement

“This individual was armed with a two-meter-long spear with an American flag attached just under the blade,” the statement said. The indictment states that Chansley called the FBI Thursday to confirm his presence on Capitol Hill. He claimed he “was part of a group action responding, along with other Arizona ‘patriots’, to a call from the president for all ‘patriots’ to come to Washington on June 6.” Originally from Arizona, this thirty-something, who calls himself a “spiritual warrior” and calls himself “The Wolf of Yellowstone”, has already been seen many times during pro-Trump protests in Phoenix in recent months, systematically wearing his famous cap.

An elected official charged

Adam Johnson, the 30-year-old in the Trump hat pictured all smiles carrying the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was arrested in Florida on Friday. He was charged with the same counts but also with theft, although Nancy Pelosi’s desk was found the next day, abandoned in a hallway. Finally Derrick Evans, an elected member of the Parliament of the State of West Virginia who had filmed himself breaking into Congress by shouting “Derrick Evans is on Capitol Hill!”, Was arrested Friday at his home and charged Saturday of illegal trespassing and violent conduct.

The local elected official, who announced his resignation on Saturday, had broadcast his exploits live on his Facebook account and the indictment quotes him when he pushes people around him to force the doors of the Capitol by shouting “move forward , go ahead! “, then when he exclaims:” We are in the place! “. Later, the elected official posted a statement on Facebook claiming that he had not participated in any degradation and had only entered the Capitol as an “independent member of the media, to film history”. The three indictments emphasize that the defendants illegally entered a federal building “while Vice President Mike Pence was present”, which aggravates their case.

Thirteen indictments Friday

On Friday, the ministry had already announced 13 indictments for trespassing and disorder, and the arrest in Arkansas of Richard Barnett, a pro-gun activist photographed with his foot on Nancy Pelosi’s desk. Before leaving, he left an insulting note for the Democratic leader in Congress. Among those pursued are a man who had eleven molotov cocktails in a vehicle parked near Congress, another who punched a Capitol policeman while forcing his way, and a third entered with a gun. loaded into the Congress precinct.