(WASHINGTON) — Jacob Chansley, the horned helmet-wearing, painted face Capitol rioter is set for a detention hearing this afternoon in Arizona federal court, and prosecutors are requesting a judge keep him in government custody pending trial — using some of their bluntest words yet in court to describe last week’s assault on the U.S. Capitol as a “violent insurrection.”
“Chansley is an active participant in — and has made himself the most prominent symbol of — a violent insurrection that attempted to overthrow the United States Government on January 6, 2021,” prosecutors wrote in a brief to the judge. “Chansley has expressed interest in returning to Washington, D.C. for President-Elect Biden’s inauguration and has the ability to do so if the Court releases him. No conditions can reasonably assure his appearance as required, nor ensure the safety of the community.”
Chansley is the rioter seen roaming through the halls of Congress last week wearing horns, a coyote tail headdress, face paint and a wielding a 6-foot spear.
Prosecutors describe Chansley as both a clear flight risk and a mentally unstable individual, partly due to his leadership in the QAnon movement — which they bluntly describe in the brief as a “dangerous extremist group.”
“Chansley has also previously espoused identifying and then “hanging” “traitors” within the United States government,” prosecutors say. “Despite the riot on January 6, Chansley has stated his intent to return to Washington for President-Elect Biden’s inauguration, and his repeated and demonstrated unwillingness to conform to societal rules suggests a pending criminal case will not stop him.”
The brief also notes that Chansley’s employment status contributes to his flight risk — citing his ability to “sporadically” earn money by showing up at protests and riots with other QAnon followers around the country.
“Chansley is a high-profile leader and the self-professed shaman of QAnon, giving him the ability to raise large sums of money for travel (and other activities) quickly through non-traditional means,” the brief says.
Prosecutors also point to recent reports of possible violence at the Capitol leading up to the inauguration, and note that in his interview with the FBI before his arrest, Chansley told agents he’d “still go, you better believe it.”
“U.S. Capitol Police report that Chansley was among the first inside the Capitol,” the brief says. “He made his way into the halls of the Senate and the Senate Chamber within minutes of the rioters breaching the building. At this juncture in our Nation’s history, it is hard to imagine a greater risk to our democracy and community than the armed revolution of which Chansley has made himself the symbol.”
“He loved Trump, every word. He listened to him. He felt like he was answering the call of our president,” Chansley’s attorney Al Watkins told CNN in an interview Thursday. “My client wasn’t violent. He didn’t cross over any police lines. He didn’t assault anyone.” Watkins said Chansley also hopes for a presidential pardon.
During his court appearance on Jan. 11, Chansley’s court-appointed attorney, Gerald Williams, told the judge that Chansley has been unable to eat since he was arrested, The Associated Press reported. He said his client has a restricted diet, though it was unclear to Williams whether Chansley’s food issues were related to health concerns or religious reasons.
The judge ordered Williams to work with the U.S. Marshals Service to address the issue.
Chansley’s mother, Martha Chansley, told reporters outside the courthouse that her son needs an organic diet, The Arizona Republic reported.
“He gets very sick if he doesn’t eat organic food,” she said. “He needs to eat.”
So far, approximately 80 cases have been charged in federal court and 34 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, the Department of Justice said Thursday. Additionally, the FBI has opened approximately 200 subject case files and received roughly 140,000 digital media tips from the public.
Chansley’s detention hearing before Magistrate Judge Deborah Fine is set for Friday 4:30 p.m. ET via teleconference.
ABC News’ Ivan Pereira and Meredith Ferrell contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The danger to the public and to law enforcement officers from explosive devices during expected upcoming protests “is substantial,” the FBI warned in a new awareness bulletin obtained by ABC News.
The document includes photos of devices used in the last eight months against civilian and law enforcement targets during public protests.
“Devices targeting infrastructure also increased following violent activity during this time period,” the document said.
The FBI now wants to make first responders aware of what has been deployed in the past and what they might encounter during demonstrations linked to the inauguration.
“The danger posed to law enforcement officers and the general public from the all the tactics listed is substantial,” the bulletin reads. “If a suspicious item is reasonably believed to contain explosives, an IED, or other hazardous material, DO NOT touch, tamper with, or move the item. Only bomb disposal personnel should handle any suspected devices that are located.”
An internal FBI bulletin obtained by ABC News earlier this week stated that armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols and at the U.S. Capitol at least through Inauguration Day, in the wake of a pro-Trump siege on the Capitol last week.
During that riot last week, suspected pipe bombs were found outside of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee, a few blocks from the Capitol. U.S. Capitol Police later said they were “hazardous” and could have caused “great harm.” A federal law enforcement source told ABC News the suspected weapons were active and not fake devices.
Tidewater Regional JailBy ALEXANDER MALLIN and MEREDITH DELISO, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — More than a week after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, federal authorities continue to charge people who allegedly participated in the riot, often relying on video taken at the scene to identify suspects.
Man seen carrying Confederate flag in Capitol
A man whom authorities identified as carrying a Confederate flag while walking through the Capitol halls during the Jan. 6 siege was arrested Thursday morning in Delaware, a law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News.
Kevin Seefried was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and one count of depredation of government property, the U.S. attorney’s office in D.C. announced.
His son, Hunter Seefried, faces the same charges, authorities said. ABC News could not immediately reach them or their attorneys for comment.
The FBI had put out several bulletins over the past week seeking to identify the elder Seefried. Both men were identified after the FBI received a tip from Hunter Seefried’s coworker that he “bragged about being in the Capitol with his father” on Jan. 6, according to an FBI affidavit.
Both men allegedly entered the Senate building through a broken window, soon after which Kevin Seefried was spotted walking through the halls with a Confederate flag, according to the affidavit.
FBI agents interviewed the men on Tuesday, during which they confirmed they participated in the riot, according to the affidavit. Kevin Seefried “explained that he brought the Confederate Battle flag … from his home in Delaware where it is usually displayed outside,” the FBI said.
Kevin Seefried told law enforcement they traveled with their family to see Trump speak, and then he and Hunter participated in the march to the Capitol, according to the affidavit. Retired firefighter who allegedly threw fire extinguisher at police
Robert Sanford, a retired firefighter from Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, was arrested Thursday morning on three federal charges for allegedly hurling a fire extinguisher that hit three Capitol police officers at the riot last week, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.
The assault is separate from the ongoing investigation into the death of Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, the official told ABC News.
Sanford, 55, was charged with four federal offenses — knowingly entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, civil disorder and assaulting officers engaging in their official duties.
A federal judge in Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon ordered Sanford to remain in government custody pending his next hearing in Washington, D.C., saying his alleged actions show he presents a danger to the community.
During the detention hearing, a Department of Justice attorney accused Sanford of traveling across multiple state lines “as part of a group” that attended President Trump’s speech and then subsequently marched to the Capitol for “purposes of basically participating in a riot that was an insurrection against the United States government.”
Rejecting the defense’s argument that Sanford’s long service as a firefighter should count in favor of his release pending further proceedings, the judge described his actions as “clearly … a danger to the community,” adding the riots were “a danger for the Capitol, it was a danger to our democracy, and our legislators.”
Authorities identified Sanford from two videos that captured the attack on the Capitol, stills of which were included in the FBI affidavit.
Sanford allegedly threw an object, which from the video appeared to be a fire extinguisher, at a group of police officers, according to the affidavit.
“The object appears to strike one officer, who was wearing a helmet, in the head,” the affidavit stated. “The object then ricochets and strikes another officer, who was not wearing a helmet, in the head. The object then ricochets a third time and strikes a third officer, wearing a helmet, in the head.”
One of the officers was evaluated at a hospital before being cleared to return to duty, according to the affidavit.
Sanford was identified after a longtime friend of his contacted the FBI in Pennsylvania and said they recognized Sanford from photos put out by the FBI, the affidavit stated. The friend said Sanford traveled to DC “on a bus with a group of people” who “had gone to the White House and listened to President Donald J. Trump’s speech and then had followed the President’s instructions and gone to the Capitol,” according to the affidavit.
Sanford had recently retired from the Chester Fire Department in Chester, Pennsylvania, authorities said. The man identified as Sanford in the videos can be seen wearing a stocking cap with the logo for the fire department.
In a statement released Thursday, Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland said Sanford served as a member of the fire department from January 1994 to February 2020.
“While Robert Sanford adorned a hat with a Fire Department logo, he is not a current employee of the city of Chester,” Kirkland said. Man who allegedly beat officer with American flag
A man seen in a viral video beating a police officer with a flagpole that had an American flag attached to it has been charged, the Department of Justice said Thursday.
Authorities identified Peter Stager of Arkansas as the man in the video. Stager allegedly repeatedly struck an officer with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department on the steps of the Capitol building with the flagpole, according to the criminal complaint.
A confidential source tipped the FBI off to Stager’s identity from two videos posted on a Twitter thread, according to the FBI affidavit.
In one of the videos, the source identified Stager as saying, “Everybody in there is a treasonous traitor. Death is the only remedy for what’s in that building.”
“That building” was believed to be a reference to the U.S. Capitol building, and “everybody in there” a reference to the congresspeople inside at the time, according to the affidavit.
Stager allegedly told a separate individual in touch with the confidential source that he thought the cop was “Antifa,” despite the officer’s jacket identifying him as police.
It was not immediately clear whether Stager had been arrested. ABC News was unable to reach him for comment. Man who filmed fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt
John Sullivan, the leader of activist group Insurgence USA who followed rioters throughout the Capitol and taped the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt, has been charged with multiple federal offenses — entering a restricted building, civil disorder, violent entry and disorderly conduct — authorities said.
Sullivan, 26, was arrested Thursday in Provo, Utah.
The complaint alleged that Sullivan, while wearing a ballistics vest and gas mask, entered the Capitol through a window that had been broken out.
The affidavit for the charges is based almost entirely on a 50-minute video Sullivan taped as he filmed rioters attacking the U.S. Capitol, as well as an interview Sullivan gave to an FBI task force officer last week.
In the video, Sullivan can be heard saying, “It’s our house motherfu*****” and “We are getting this sh**,” according to the affidavit.
The agent also cited interviews Sullivan gave to both CNN and ABC’s “Good Morning America” in which he described the situation inside the Capitol.
According to the affidavit, Sullivan told investigators he is an activist and journalist “but admitted that he did not have any press credentials.” He told investigators he was willing to provide a copy of all his footage from within the Capitol, the affidavit stated.
In July, Sullivan was charged with rioting and criminal mischief in connection with a protest in Provo, authorities said. The case is still pending.
ABC News has reached out to Sullivan for comment.
Former Texas mayoral candidate who posted selfie videos from Capitol
A former Midland, Texas, mayoral candidate was arrested and charged with two federal offenses Wednesday after she posted multiple selfie videos of her participating in last week’s riot in the Capitol, authorities said.
In one Facebook video cited in the FBI affidavit, Jenny Cudd made statements “indicating her admission of entering the U.S. Capitol,” the affidavit stated, including allegedly being a part of the crowd that stormed the Capitol and broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.
According to the affidavit, Cudd said in the video, “We did break down Nancy Pelosi’s office door and somebody stole her gavel and took a picture sitting in the chair flipping off the camera.”
“I am proud of my actions, I f****** charged the Capitol today with patriots today. Hell yes, I am proud of my actions,” Cudd allegedly said.
The Facebook livestream video has since been removed.
Cudd was charged with entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. Her attorney told the Midland Reporter-Telegram she plans to plead not guilty at her court appearance next week.
Cudd ran for mayor of Midland in 2019 and lost to Patrick Payton. Following her arrest, Payton’s office released a statement to ABC News Austin affiliate KVUE: “The mayor will reserve any further comment for much later and would encourage us all to reserve any further speculation or judgment on these matters until more is known and the federal authorities progress in their work on this matter.” More high-profile arrests
Dozens of arrests have been made around the country in recent days in connection with the Capitol attack.
Among them, on Wednesday, a man who authorities identified as the rioter wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” hoodie during the Capitol siege was arrested in Newport News, Virginia. He faces charges of unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was charged Wednesday with obstructing law enforcement engaged in official duties, unlawfully entering Capitol grounds and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
The man who was photographed inside the Capitol wearing fur pelts and a bulletproof police vest while holding a Capitol Police riot shield was arrested Tuesday in Brooklyn and faces four federal charges.
Over the weekend, Capitol riot suspects who allegedly brought zip ties and wore tactical gear were arrested in Texas and Tennessee.
The man seen carrying Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the Capitol halls and the shirtless man dressed in horns, a bearskin headdress and red, white and blue face paint were arrested on Friday in Florida and Arizona, respectively.
ABC News’ Alexandra Svokos and Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
Myriam Borzee/iStockBy MORGAN WINSOR, ERIN SCHUMAKER and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 92.4 million people worldwide and killed over 1.98 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Here’s how the news is developing Thursday. All times Eastern:
Jan 14, 9:50 am Another member of Congress tests positive
Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., said Thursday morning that he’s tested positive for COVID-19, one day after attending the impeachment vote on the House floor.
Espaillat said he’s quarantining at home.
He tweeted, “I received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last week and understand the affects take time. I have continued to be tested regularly, wear my mask and follow the recommended guidelines.”
Jan 14, 8:46 am 965,000 workers filed jobless claims last week
A total of 965,000 workers filed jobless claims last week, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday, an increase of 181,000 from the prior week.
The Labor Department also said that more than 18 million people were still receiving some form of unemployment benefits through all government programs for the week ending Dec. 26. For the comparable week in 2019, that figure was just above two million.
The weekly unemployment tally has fallen since peaking at 6.9 million in March but still remains elevated by historical standards.
The pre-pandemic record for weekly unemployment filings was 695,000 in 1982.
That record has been broken every week since late March.
As of last month, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was 6.7%. It was 3.5% last February.
Jan 14, 8:32 am WHO experts arrive in Wuhan
An international team of scientists researching the origins of COVID-19 arrived on Thursday in Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus was first discovered, the World Health Organization said.
“The experts will begin their work immediately during the 2 weeks quarantine protocol for international travelers,” the WHO tweeted.
Jan 14, 8:19 am US could see up to 477,000 deaths by Feb. 6
This week’s national released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that 16,200 to 29,600 more Americans will likely die in the week ending Feb. 2.
The national ensemble estimates a total of 440,000 to 477,000 COVID-19 deaths will be reported by that date.
(RICHMOND, Va.) — Virginia state lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that would abolish the state’s death penalty.
Virginia House of Delegates member Mike Mullin and state Sen. Scott Surovell introduced bills to their respective houses that would abolish the death penalty and convert existing capital sentences to sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Mullin said in a statement that the use of capital punishment “is flawed with wrongful convictions, inadequate representation, geographic disparity, and racial bias.”
“It is not a crime deterrent, but instead perpetuates a culture of violence that does not belong in the Commonwealth,” he said in a statement.
As of October 2020, Virginia had executed 113 people since 1973, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks death row inmates. Only Texas has had more executions during that period, with 570, according to the DPIC.
Eleven out of the 14 executions carried out by the federal government up to October 2020 have taken place in the last two years, the DPIC said. At least four other federal executions have taken place since October, including the first woman executed since 1953.
Virginia prisoners on death row are executed by lethal injection, however, the prisoner can choose electrocution, according to state law.
Virginia hasn’t executed anyone since 2017 and most Virginia counties haven’t had an execution in 50 years, according to data from the DPIC. There are currently two people on death row in the state, the DPIC said.
The House of Delegates and state Senate bills are each likely to have strong support after gaining a Democratic majority last year. The legislature has pushed progressive bills forward since Democrats took control.
House Delegate Minority Leader Todd Gilbert did not immediately respond to a request from ABC News for comment. However, at least one Republican state senator, Bill Stanley, told The Associated Press in December he would support a new bill.
Gov. Ralph Northam said he supports the bill and will sign it if passed in the state legislature.
“I’m committed to abolishing the death penalty in Virginia,” he said in a statement.
Robert Dunham, the executive director of the DPIC, told ABC News a death penalty abolishment would be a significant move, as most of the country’s executions take place in Deep South states.
“There hasn’t been [a state] execution west of Texas in more than five years. There has been a national erosion,” Dunham told ABC News. “The last area so far that has evaded that erosion is the South.”
Dunham credited the changing public opinion and election of progressive prosecutors and leaders for the change in Virginia. The state hasn’t issued a death sentence in five years, he said.
“It’s become a less partisan issue and people have been able to reach across the aisle to bring reform,” he said. “We now have a situation where eliminating the death penalty can be a vehicle of healing. Now is the time for that.”
Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have abolished the death penalty, according to the DPIC. Three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have issued a moratorium on capital punishment.
DanHenson1/iStockBy ALEXANDER MALLIN, ABC News
