Two men allegedly seen in viral photographs of the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol have been arrested, the Attorney General of Washington, DC announced Sunday. Larry Rendell Brock and Eric Gavelek Munchel were allegedly seen in images of the commotion occupying Congress chambers while wearing tactical equipment and wearing plastic suspenders.
Munchel was arrested Sunday in Tennessee, the Justice Department said. He was charged with one charge of entering or remaining consciously in any restricted building or land without lawful authority and another of violent entry and disorderly conduct on the grounds of the Capitol. A law enforcement source told CBS News that a “gun charge” was found at Munchel’s residence and they are assessing whether they were legally owned.
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The Justice Department claims Munchel is the man seen “wearing plastic restraints, an item in a holster on his right hip and a cell phone mounted to his chest with the camera looking outward, apparently to record the events of that day”.
Brock was arrested Sunday in Texas and charged with the same crimes as Munchel, the Justice Department said. The department alleged that Brock is the man seen in several photographs of the riots wearing a green helmet, tactical vest and black jacket and camouflage, while also wearing plastic zip ties.
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Brock was identified as a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force by John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher in the Citizen Lab at the Munk School at the University of Toronto. Scott-Railton told CBS News that he used a combination of facial recognition software and a group of experts to help identify patches on his clothes. Brock’s identity was first reported in The New Yorker.
After feeling confident in his identification, Scott-Railton told CBS News, “I decided it was time to contact the FBI and report the information to them.”
“I did not go public immediately, but I worked there [journalist] Ronan Farrow and his team of data controllers at the New Yorker, “he said.” I think the American public needed to know, but I wanted to be sure. “
Brock admitted it was him in the photos and told the New Yorker he found the straps on the floor.
According to an affidavit, Brock’s ex-wife called the FBI on Jan. 8 after recognizing photos of him.
“I just know that when I saw this happen, I was scared to go there,” he said. “I think you already know he was there. It’s a good picture of him and I recognize his patch.”
Brock is the second member of the Air Force involved in the Capitol Hill revolt. Ashli Babitt, the woman shot and killed by Capitol police during Wednesday’s siege, was a U.S. Air Force veteran.
The arrests come a day after two other men allegedly seen in viral photos of the riots were arrested and charged. On Saturday, Jake Angeli, also known as “QAnon Shaman”, was allegedly seen in several photos and videos of the shirtless and horned revolt and a fur hat on his head. Angeli was arrested in Arizona and faces the same charges as Brock and Munchel.
Adam Johnson, a 36-year-old Florida resident, was also arrested Saturday after he was identified as the man in the picture wearing the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and gesturing to the camera. .
At least 19 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the assault on the Capitol. Authorities continue to look for other people involved.
Catherine Herridge, Grace Segers, Clare Hymes, Jessica Opatich, Audrey McNamara and Victoria Albert contributed to this report.