A Capitol Hill rioter, who was among the crowd of Trump supporters to storm the building after the 2020 presidential election result and posed with his feet on US Democrat Nancy Pelosi’s desk, has been found guilty of all charges.
A grand jury charged Richard “Bigo” Barnett on eight charges, including felony counts of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding, reported news agency AP. Barnett also faced other charges that include being in the restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, the stun gun with spikes concealed within a collapsible walking stick.
Not just he was found posing after breaking into Pelosi’s office, but Barnett also boasted of swiping an envelope before leaving the premise.
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The prosecutor on Tuesday said the Arkansas man came prepared for violence after weeks of preparation as his trial got underway. The accused also took a piece of her mail and wrote a note punctuated with sexist expletive saying, “Nancy, Bigo was here,” prosecutors noted.
“The defendant violated that space,” prosecutor Alison Prout said in the opening statements. “He came prepared for violence.”
Barnett also used a bullhorn to give a speech to the crowd, shouting, “We took back our house, and I took Nancy Pelosi’s office!” according to prosecutors.
The accused emerged as a prominent rioter as a result of the widespread circulation of his photographs in Speaker Pelosi’s office and subsequent interview,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
“Everything he did inside was grounded in political protest … it was all protest, protest, protest,” the defense wrote.
Barnett, who later turned himself in to FBI agents in Arkansas just two days after the riot told investigators that he was pushed into the Capitol by large crowds.
On asked if he would do it again during his appearance on Russian state television with his attorney in June 2021 Barnett said, “I exercise my First Amendment rights every hour, every minute, and every day, and I will never stop,” according to prosecutors.
