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Judge calls Capitol siege 'violent insurrection,' orders man who wore horns held

Published 01/15/2021, 01:22 AM
Updated 01/15/2021, 09:30 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Trump supporters protest during a Stop the Steal rally at the U.S. Capitol

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Trump supporters protest during a Stop the Steal rally at the U.S. Capitol

By Brad Heath, Sarah N. Lynch and Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday ordered a far-right conspiracy theorist who left an ominous note for Vice President Mike Pence inside the U.S. Capitol to be detained pending trial, saying he participated in a "violent insurrection."

In U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Arizona, Magistrate Judge Deborah Fine ruled that Jacob Chansley, who was famously photographed inside the U.S. Senate Chamber wearing horns during the Capitol riots, should not be released from custody.

Chansley, a Navy veteran and follower of QAnon, allegedly left a note for Pence warning: “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.” QAnon is a conspiracy theory that casts Trump as a savior figure and elite Democrats as a cabal of Satanist pedophiles and cannibals,

Fine on Friday called Chansley "an active participant in a violent insurrection that attempted to overthrow the United States government" and said she fears he is a danger to the community and a flight risk.

As she made her ruling, Chansley interjected and tried to speak, but the judge cut him off, saying he should avoid making statements.

Her ruling came shortly after prosecutors in Arizona walked back sweeping statements they made just a day earlier in their memo seeking detention, claiming the government had "strong evidence" that the "intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government."

Earlier in the day, the top federal prosecutor overseeing the sweeping probe of the riots at the Capitol told reporters that at this stage, they had no "direct evidence" that rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol had formed "kill capture teams."

The criminal case against Chansley is just one of a growing number, as investigators in Washington, D.C, scour more than 140,000 videos and photos from the Capitol siege.

As of Friday morning, Sherwin said his office has brought 98 criminal prosecutions so far and has opened investigations into more than 275 people in connection with the Capitol riots, in which Trump’s supporters stormed the building, ransacked offices and in some cases, attacked police.

Court filings in the cases suggested some of the rioters came prepared with weapons, gas masks, ballistic vests and zip ties.

The people charged include a retired firefighter who hurled a fire extinguisher at police, a man accused of attacking police with a flag pole and another suspect who was caught with explosives and firearms in his truck near the Capitol building.

The FBI is also looking for suspects in connection with the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.

Steven D'Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, urged suspects to turn themselves in.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO:  Authorities make updates on charges in assault on U.S. Capitol

"To those of you who took part in the violence, here's something you should know: Every FBI field office in the country is looking for you," he said. "As a matter of fact, even your friends and family are tipping us off."

Latest comments

Didn't Antifa occupy a state capitol during the 'summer of love'? Wasn't that violent insurerrection? And I recall Pelosi and Harris being quite keen that that should continue! I can't keep up, clearly.
Dont think there will be much prosecution before Jan. 20th. After that ??
"Riot", yes. "Insurrection," no.
Capital hill was just another false flag operation.
https://thenationalpulse.com/news/chat-logs-rally-plot-trump/
Biden is a real man not that failed reality tv host u guys prayed to for 4 years
And pray tell me, what has that joke of a "man" Biden has done in his 47 years in office except sponsor, write, and campaign for many of the bills that caused such disparity within our minority communities? Ignoramus
So, Trumpers, WHO IS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
a fake
who is the "sleepy" Joe, now? Dump the Trump, Lock him up! The Pinocchio Impostor con-man president, show your income taxes, shameless ******grabber bed wetter! You want a military send off? How about a "hit the road Jack"?
His name is Donald
Lawbreakers deserve this. Where was DOJ, FBI this past year with similar behavior across America?
At vista del lago.
I like your comment
There was definitely at least one lefty instigating. If he was there there were many others as well. That doesn't make the people who got instigated innocent, but it is something the media does not want to talk about.
Marilyn poisoned Jack before the CIA ambushed Him.
I like yours too.
Most people realize that the reason they posted to social media was because the majority did not have bad intentions. How many people did actually die at the hands of antifa and blm supporters? More than a few, including children.
Idle hands are the.....
fake news!
74 million evil and violent terrorists now in this country thanks FOX for producing all these deranged cultists
I hope you are being sarcastic but you probably aren't. Okay Drone!
https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/breaking-fbi-arrests-left-wing-anarchist-leader-john-sullivan-for-inciting-riot-in-capitol-siege/
This is a propaganda piece... friends were there... not trump supporters... john sullivan was arrested in the capitol... why was a blm leader in the capitol?
he is not a BLM leader. Anderson Poopier does not know the whole story about him. Sullivan is a violent opportunist. Read more than one source of information
 Yeah that is how the left works. They create a zillion organizations that make up antifa and blm but the main organization takes none of the blame. Kind of like corporations and subsidiaries.
Just two of many precedents for American violence...the burning of Atlanta by the Union army and the multiple burnings of Portland and other American cities by antifa and BLM.
https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/breaking-fbi-arrests-left-wing-anarchist-leader-john-sullivan-for-inciting-riot-in-capitol-siege/
it looked like a mostly peaceful protest to me.
What means insurrection for the US means freedom and democracy for others that would be specified by the US. What a funny, obsurd and disgusting contrast, or self-slapping of face.
just stop this incorrect biased reporting. There is no evidence whatever that this small group were Trump supporters. In fact the opposite. Study the timeline
Even if the capitol break in was caused by Trump supporters, which it wasn’t, I think that we are all missing the broader point. The gathering in Washington DC that day was precipitated by concerns of voter fraud. The unwillingness of our state and federal governments to address this issue is and will continue to be the basis for broad political dissent. Censorship by the media and unlawful conviction by our congress without due process will only intensify the fervor.
Mark it started by trumps lies
Very well said. Thank you.
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