Two men allegedly seen in viral photographs of the deadly attack on the United States Capitol have been arrested, the attorney general of Washington, DC, announced on Sunday. Larry Rendell Brock and Eric Gavelek Munchel were reportedly seen in photos of the riot occupying Congressional chambers while wearing tactical equipment and holding plastic zippers.
Munchel was arrested in Tennessee on Sunday, the Justice Department said. He was charged with an accusation of intentionally entering or staying in any restricted building or land without legal authority and an accusation of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. A police source told CBS News that “a shipment of weapons” was found at Munchel’s residence and they are assessing whether they were legally owned.
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The Justice Department says Munchel is the man seen “carrying plastic restraints, an item in a holster on his right hip and a cell phone mounted on his chest with the camera facing outward, apparently to record the events of that day”.
Brock was arrested on Sunday in Texas and charged with the same crimes as Munchel, the Justice Department said. The department claimed that Brock is the man seen in several photos of the riots, wearing a green helmet, tactical vest and black and camouflage jacket, while carrying a plastic zipper.
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Brock was identified as retired Air Force lieutenant colonel by John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Munk School Citizen Lab. Scott-Railton told CBS News that he used a combination of facial recognition software and a group of experts to help identify spots 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 forward the information to them.”
“I didn’t go public immediately, but I worked with [journalist] Ronan Farrow and his team of fact-checkers at the New Yorker, “he said.” I believe that 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 that he found the seals on the floor.
According to a sworn statement, Brock’s ex-wife called the FBI on January 8 after recognizing his photos.
“I just know that when I saw this happening, I was afraid he was there,” she said. “I think you already know he was there. It’s such a good picture of him and I recognize his patch.”
Brock is the second member of the Air Force involved in the Capitol riot. Ashli Babitt, the woman shot and killed by the Capitol Police during Wednesday’s siege, was a United States Air Force veteran.
The arrests take place the day after two other men allegedly seen in viral photos of the riots were taken into custody and charged. On Saturday, Jake Angeli, also known as “QAnon Shaman”, was reportedly seen in several photos and videos of the shirtless riot and wearing horns 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 on Saturday after being identified as the man in the photo carrying the pulpit of Mayor Nancy Pelosi and waving at the camera.
At least 19 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the attack on the Capitol. The 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.