Arizona federal prosecutors are asking a judge to arrest the Capitol riot police known as “Shaman Shaman” before the trial, saying his words and actions during the January 6 victories they show that the intent of the riot police was to “capture and murder” lawmakers.
Jacob Chansley, 33, of Arizona, was charged Jan. 11 by a grand federal jury with two felony counts of interfering with law enforcement during the commission of civil unrest and obstructing a Congress, threatening Congress officials and disorderly conduct. Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, was also charged with four felony counts.
Prosecutors say Chansley, a well-known Arizona pro-Arizona rally party, is a “self-proclaimed leader” in the QAnon movement of conspiracy theory. Images of a shirtless Chansley storming the Capitol with horns, a leather coyote headdress, and face paint, carrying a megaphone and a spear, quickly went viral on social media. He is being held at an Arizona federal detention center.
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In a memorandum of arrest filed Thursday, U.S. prosecutors in Arizona argue that Chansley would pose a “permanent danger to the community” and that a risk of escape would be released. While inside the Capitol, prosecutors argue, Chansley approached U.S. Capitol police officer Keith Robishaw and shouted that “this was their home, that they were there to get senators and that they were there to take the Capitol, to get congressional leaders, ”a memorandum reads. “Chansley also used his public address system to communicate that they were there to take several congressmen out of the United States,” the file says.
The memorandum also says “while Officer Robishaw was trying to suffocate the crowd, Chansley used his megaphone to incite him.”
Columbia District U.S. Attorney General Michael Sherwin told reporters Friday that while there is no direct evidence of “kill or capture” equipment, there are “bread crumbs” that suggest some level of coordination between some groups inside and outside the Capitol. Sherwin, whose office leads the massive federal investigation into the riot, said understanding the reasons and the level of advance planning for the riot could take weeks or months.
In their presentation, Arizona prosecutors say Chansley entered the Senate chamber with a group of about 25 riot police, took pictures on the podium where Vice President Mike Pence had been minutes earlier and left a note that said, “It’s only a matter of time. Justice is coming.”
The next day, prosecutors said Chansley called the FBI’s Washington office, admitted his involvement and described Pence as a “child trafficking traitor,” but said he did not intend the note to be a threat. When asked about the meaning of the note, he launched into a “long diatribe” describing current and past lawmakers, including Pence, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President-elect Joe Biden as “infiltrators involved in various types of mischief.”
“While he stated that his note was not a threat, the government fully agrees,” the prosecution’s court file says.
Chansley was arrested Jan. 9, when he was unaware of a sealed warrant for his arrest, prosecutors say he went to an FBI office in Phoenix with the intent of “continuing his interview.” He carried the headdress, spear, horns, face paint and megaphone in his car trunk, according to the note.
Prosecutors describe Chansley as a “leader-turned-follower” in QAnon’s ideology who has defended dangerous conspiracy theories and described lawmakers as “hanged” whom he called “social media” traitors.
“He has repeatedly demonstrated dramatic and erratic behavior, an inability to conform to social norms, and a lack of will to appreciate the consequences of his actions,” the documentation said. “He abides by his own belief system, acts accordingly regardless of the criminal consequences, and accompanies other people.”
They say Chansley also promised to return to Washington, DC for the inauguration of President-elect Biden.
“At this point in our nation’s history, it’s hard to imagine a greater risk to our democracy and community than the armed revolution of which Chansley has become a symbol,” prosecutors wrote. .
Chansley’s lawyer, Albert Watkins, however, painted a completely different picture on Thursday. Watkins said Chansley was unarmed, nonviolent, and surrendered peacefully to the FBI. The lawyer said Chansley and others who entered the Capitol did so on the instructions of President Donald Trump and asked Mr. Trump to forgive Chansley and other “peaceful and allied individuals who accepted the president’s invitation with intent.” honorable “.
“Mr. Chansley is an American; he served with honor in the United States Army,” Watkins said. “He has no criminal record. He is a nature lover, routinely practices meditation, actively practices yoga and eats only organic foods. He took President Trump’s countless messages seriously. He believed in President Trump. Like tens of millions. of other Americans, Chansley felt, for the first time in her life, as if her voice were being heard. “
Chansley is scheduled for an arrest hearing before a federal judge on Friday.
So far, more than 200 people are under investigation and more than 100 are facing local or federal charges in the January 6 riot that left five people dead. Hundreds more charges are expected as federal investigators comb tips, videos and social media to identify and detain suspects across the country.
Those already charged face a variety of crimes ranging from curfew violations, illegal entry and disorderly conduct to robberies, assaults and gun violations. A team of senior federal prosecutors is investigating more serious charges, including sedition and conspiracy related to the “most heinous” acts at the Capitol, Sherwin said Tuesday.
Catherine Herridge contributed to the reports.