A South Carolina man bragged in a group chat that he disguised himself as an anti-fascist, or antifa, activist during the January 6 Capitol riots and managed to beat up police officers and steal police equipment.
William Robert Norwood III transmitted his plan in a text to four others on January 5, according to images of the chat included in a criminal complaint and arrest warrant filed on Thursday.
“I’m wearing all black,” wrote Norwood, according to the complaint. “I will look like ANTIFA. I will escape anything. “
The day after the riots, Norwood sent an update. “It worked … I escaped from things that other people were shot or arrested for.”
“The policeman shot a Trump supporter. So he allowed ‘ANTIFA Trump supporters’ to attack him. I was one of them. I was there. I got your s —, “Norwood continued.
Attached to the text was a selfie of himself “wearing what appears to be a tactical vest for the United States Capitol Police under a camouflaged jacket with a zipper,” the FBI wrote in the complaint.
“I got a nice helmet and body armor from a police officer, for God’s sake, and I disarmed him. Tell me how it works, “wrote Norwood to the group, according to the images.
He claimed that as soon as he changed his antifa suit, he was the target of police officers.
“I fought with 4 policemen, they did nothing. When I put on my red hat, they surprised me, ”wrote Norwood.
Immediately after the January 6 violence, unfounded conspiracy theories circulated on social media and conservative media that the antifa was somehow behind the disturbances.
There is no evidence that anti-fascist activists were involved in the riots, which caused the deaths of five people, FBI officials said repeatedly.
Someone identified as TD, who the FBI says is Norwood’s brother, scolded Norwood.
“You admitted to being something that you are accusing other people of being. And then he got angry and blamed others for the same thing as you. What the hell is wrong with you? TD sent a message.
Norwood replied, “The only cop who deserved it, got it.” He added: “The police who acted —– received exactly what they deserved. Those who were nice got help. “
A member of TD’s family, identified by the FBI as JD, warned agents, saying TD had told her that Norwood had done “terrible things” within the United States Capitol, including assaulting police officers, “said the criminal complaint. TD then shared messages with federal agents.
When agents interviewed Norwood, he said he and his wife traveled to Washington, DC, to attend Trump’s rally. He admitted to entering the Capitol and the Capitol Rotunda after he was separated from his wife, according to the FBI.
He claimed that “two US Capitol officers were waving people in and that one of the Capitol officers said to him, ‘I’m on your side,'” the FBI said.
He said he wanted to leave, but he couldn’t because of the large crowd. He said he helped police officers not to be beaten and claimed that someone else took a police vest from a pile of equipment and put the vest on him, the FBI said. He admitted to taking a helmet from the pile and putting it on his head.
“Norwood also denied assaulting police officers and claimed that any statements he made in text messages were intended to make Norwood look tough,” said the criminal complaint. “Norwood has repeatedly stated that he just tried to help law enforcement, not hurt them.”
Norwood provided the FBI with a picture of him, wearing a camouflage jacket and standing near the Washington Monument on January 6. A man who was wearing the same clothes and appeared to be Norwood was captured in a surveillance video at the roundabout, the FBI said. .
Norwood faces charges of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, obstruction of justice and Congress, theft of government property and other charges. Efforts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful on Tuesday.
