An 18-year-old man from Texas has told the FBI about his father’s role in the US Capitol riot – and said he will do it again.
Jackson Reffitt – whose father Guy Reffitt was charged last week during the January 6 siege – told Fox4 that he acted out of moral obligation.
“It was my moral compass … to do what I thought would protect not only my family but also my father himself,” he said.
“I will do it again.”
Elder Reffitt, of Wylie, allegedly threatened his son and daughter, saying, “If you deliver me, you are a traitor and you know what happens to traitors … traitors get shot,” court documents read.
His son told the TV station: “I considered it a threat, but I never thought he would react to it.”
Reffitt said his father is part of a far-right militia group and that he has adopted increasingly radicalized views over the years.
He was worried about what would happen if law enforcement officers arrested his father and said, “The police could come in at any time, at a bad time, regardless of the situation and my father could be released.”
The FBI called, “was not just because I think my father is aggressive,” Reffitt said. “I think what he manipulated into thinking is aggressive.”
He also remembers the moment when he heard that his father was under siege.
“I think it was FOX play, and it was just a live show of riots at the Capitol, and the storm, and my mom said your dad was there,” Reffitt said.
Guy Reffitt, 48, was tracked down by federal authorities after footage of him being played at the Capitol during the riot on the day of the siege on YouTube and Fox News, according to court documents.
The photos contained in an arrest warrant show that he is wearing a quilted or tactical style jacket and a black helmet with a GoPro camera in the Capitol.
Investigators have found that he previously posted a comment on a Web site for an extremist group known as the Texas Freedom Force, according to the FBI.
When authorities arrested him on January 15, they found an AR-15-style rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol, court documents read.
Although he has not been able to speak to his father since the arrest, Jackson said he would.
“I would say I’m sorry because I do not feel I am putting him in this situation, but I still feel guilty,” he said.