US Olympic swimmer Klete Keller was charged Wednesday with connection to last week’s deadly riot on Capitol Hill, court records show.
A criminal complaint filed with the United States District Court in Washington, DC, showed that Keller was accused of obstructing law enforcement by intentionally entering or staying in a restricted building or land without legal authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Hill.
The videos appear to show the Olympic gold medalist inside the Capitol Rotunda on January 6 wearing a US Olympic team jacket. While protesters clashed with the police, police can be seen trying several times push the crowd back this included a man who appears to be Keller. SwimSwam, a news site that covers competitive swimming, first identified Keller as possibly one of the members of a Trump support crowd that attacked the Capitol. The New York Times also spoke to former teammates and anonymous coaches who said he was part of the crowd.
Federal agents confirmed that it was Keller in the videos in part by comparing the photo of his Colorado driver’s license with the person seen in the images, according to the criminal complaint signed by an FBI special agent Matthew R. Barofsky. Keller, who is 6 feet and 6 inches tall, also stood out for being one of the tallest people in the videos, the complaint noted.
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Keller was part of the United States swimming team at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Along with Michael Phelps, he was a member of the relay team that won the gold medal in the 4X200m freestyle in 2004 and 2008. The team also set a new world record at the same event at the FINA World Swimming Championship in Melbourne in 2007. Before the police identified Keller as a participant in the riot, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee issued a statement to CBS News on Tuesday condemning the stocks last week.
“We support the right to protest peacefully and express values and views in a respectful and lawful manner – this is what makes our democracy strong. Unfortunately, that is not what happened in this case, ”said the committee.
Keller also resigned from Hoff & Leigh in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he worked as an independent contractor, according to a company statement.
“Hoff & Leigh supports the right to freedom of expression and legal protest, but we cannot tolerate actions that violate the rule of law,” said the company.
The riot led to five deaths, including a Capitol police officer. House Democrats accused President Trump of inciting the attack on the Capitol and voted Wednesday for impeachment for the second time. Ten House Republicans also voted in favor of impeachment.