According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jacob Anthony Chansley also known as “Jake Angeli,” the man in viral photos and videos dressed in horns, and a bearskin headdress with red, white, and blue face paint, has been arrested.
Chansley, who is now in federal custody, was arrested in Phoenix on charges of “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
ABC News reported that Chansley voluntarily contacted the FBI on Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. They also noted, “Chansley stated that he came as a part of a group effort, with other ‘patriots’ from Arizona, at the request of the President that all ‘patriots’ come to D.C. on January 6, 2021.”
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Reporter Erica Stapleton shared a video of Chansley from an anti-mask rally in June 2020, noting that her news team has “documented him at all kinds of protests/rallies over the past year.”
On Dec. 19, 2020, President Donald Trump issued a tweet, before his account’s suspension, promoting the protests ahead of the confirmation of electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden: “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”
The riots left five people dead including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick. Sicknick was reportedly attacked with a fire extinguisher by a protestor. Sicknick is said to have “returned to his division office and collapsed,” according to a statement from Capitol Police.
The family of Sicknick issued a statement asking both the public and media to “respect our wishes in not making Brian’s passing a political issue.”
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The FBI is still seeking information from the public about the identities of the other individuals who were present on Jan. 6.
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