A Washington DC police officer witnessed rioters using hand signals to communicate militarily Capitol building during the violation on Jan. 6, a law enforcement official told CBS News.
Identifying individuals using military small unit tactics is one of the “top priorities” for a Sedition Task Force managed by the DCUS Attorney’s Office. The apparent use of ‘small tactics’, trained for military and law enforcement, was immediately investigated by investigators. This tactic was seen outside and inside the Capitol building, CBS News has learned.
Federal investigators are reviewing images that appeared on social media, as well as thousands of hours of videos of cameras with closed circuits placed outside the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Republican National Committee, the Democratic National Committee, the Capitol campus and the police body. cameras.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin, said Tuesday his office is investigating possible inflammatory conspiracy charges in the investigation into the riot.
Sherwin said the investigation into rioters’ planning includes browsing travel records, financial information and communications.
Prosecutors on Thursday said a retired Air Force officer arrested in Texas after appearing on a viral photo had a plastic handcuff with a zipper because he intended to “take hostages.”
“He meant to take hostages. He meant to kidnap members of the U.S. government, keep them in check, maybe try to execute them,” U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer said of retired Lieutenant-Colonel Larry Rendall Brock Jr., who also the subject of a new Yorker article.
Federal authorities have charged more than 40 people in connection with the Capitol riot. Among them were two Rocky Mount, Virginia, police officers, Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson, who did not serve, each facing the will that they knowingly enter any restricted building or site or remain there without lawful authority, and one of violent access and disorderly conduct. on the Capitol site.
Fracker is a corporal in the Virginia National Guard, and he is not currently on duty with the Virginia National Guard troops in Washington, DC. The Virginia National Guard will investigate.
Prosecutors wrote in a complaint that Robertson wrote in a social media message: ‘CNN and the left are just crazy because we attacked the government for the problem and not some random small business … The judge IN ONE DAY take the f * **** American Capitol. Keep stabbing us. ‘
Fracker posted a comment on Facebook that has since been removed, with the caption “Lol to anyone who might be concerned about the picture of me walking around … Sorry, I hate freedom? … Not like I did anything illegal not … you do what you feel you should, “according to the complaint.