The Arkansas man shown sitting at mayor Nancy Pelosi’s table inside the United States Capitol this week was taken into custody, federal officials said on Friday.
Gravette’s Richard Barnett was taken into custody on Friday. He is currently being charged with at least three charges: intentionally entering and staying in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and theft of public property, according to Ken Kohl, the chief assistant to the attorney general in DC
Photos circulated widely showing Barnett inside Pelosi’s office with his feet flat on his desk. “Just because you left the DC area, you can still expect a knock on the door if we find out that you were part of criminal activity on Capitol Hill,” said Steven D’Antuono, of the FBI’s Washington office.
Barnett turned himself in to authorities on Friday morning at the Benton County Sheriff’s office in Bentonville, an FBI official told CBS News. He is currently being held at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Fayetteville, the source said.
More than a dozen FBI agents were executing a search and seizure warrant authorized by the court on Friday night at Barnett’s residence, a federal law source told CBS News.
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The FBI continues its investigation to use tips and public photos to locate protesters. West Virginia State Police Chief Derrick Evans was also taken into custody after posting a now deleted video showing him in the capital. Barnett and Evans are among 15 others facing federal charges for crimes committed during the riot.
Five people lost their lives as a result of the violence on the United States Capitol this week, including a policeman who died from his injuries and a woman who was shot to death by the police. Three other people died after suffering medical emergencies, officials said.
Barnett spoke with CBS affiliate KSFM on Wednesday and identified himself as the man in the viral photos. He said he traveled to Washington to see President Trump speak earlier in the day and maintained his innocence. “I didn’t do anything,” Barnett told the station. “I didn’t break the doors. I was pushed inside. I didn’t want to be there. Hell, I was walking around looking for a bathroom.”
Barnett admitted to taking an envelope from Pelosi’s desk, but said he only did it because he bled on it. “I took the envelope and put it in my pocket. I put a 25 cent coin on the table because I am not a thief,” he said.
“The crowds were unbelievable,” he told KSFM. “We marched there. They started injecting us with tear gas. They started attacking our people. It pissed off some people. They went to the front door and started demanding that they be allowed in.”
Representative Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican, condemned Barnett’s actions on Wednesday. “I am disgusted to learn that the actions below were perpetrated by a constituent,” Womack tweeted. “It is a shame for people in the Third District and does not reflect our values. He must be held accountable and face to the fullest extent of the law. This is not the American or Arkansas style.”
Clare Hymes, Pat Milton and Erin Donaghue contributed to the report.