An alleged leftist Utah activist – who claimed to have traveled to Washington, DC, to document the violent siege of the Capitol – was arrested on Thursday.
John Sullivan was taken into custody on Thursday and faces charges of civil disorder, entry into a restricted building and violent entry or disorderly conduct after participating in the violent crowd of President Trump supporters who invaded the United States Capitol last week, according to court documents filed in federal court.
In the footage he provided to the FBI, Sullivan can be heard saying as the rioters climb a wall: “You are very wild. Come on! “Prosecutors say.
Once inside the Capitol, he says to the protesters: “We have to burn this shit. He also says, “it’s our home m ———– s” and “we’re getting this s – t” while wandering around the building, according to court documents.
Sullivan can also be heard arguing with police, telling them, “You are putting yourself in danger. People spoke ”and“ there are many people, you need to get away ”.
Prosecutors say Sullivan entered the Capitol through a broken window and was wearing a ballistic vest and gas mask during the attack.
Sullivan, who founded Insurgence USA, a group that stands against police brutality, previously told KSL-TV that he just attended the riot to “document” the violence.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Sullivan said he tried to mix with Trump supporters so they could trust him.
“I had to connect with these people and build trust in a short time,” he told the magazine. “In front of the crowd to see the dynamics between the police and the protesters, because nobody wants to see the back of people’s heads from a distance.”
Sullivan, who was arrested over the summer in Utah for organizing a protest that left a person shot, remained in custody in Tooele County at the request of the US Marshals.