DOJ accuses 2 men of carrying "restraints" during Capitol riot
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Protesters enter the Senate Chamber in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
The Department of Justice said Sunday charges have been laid against two more men following last week's deadly siege at the Capitol by supporters of President Trump.
Why it matters: The DOJ noted in a statement that one of those charged Sunday, Eric Gavelek Munchel, of Tennessee, appears to resemble a man in photos from inside the Senate Chamber "carrying plastic restraints, an item in a holster on his right hip, and a cell phone mounted on his chest with the camera facing outward, ostensibly to record events that day."
- Counterterrorism prosecutors allege that the other man charged, Larry Rendell Brock, of Texas, "was identified as one of the individuals who unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol wearing a green helmet, green tactical vest with patches, black and camo jacket, and beige pants holding a white flex cuff, which is used by law enforcement to restrain and/or detain subjects."
Details: Munchell was arrested in Tennessee and charged with one count of "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds," per the statement.
- Brock was arrested in Texas on Sunday and charged with one count of "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds," the DOJ said.
- The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the DOJ's National Security Division, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
- They're being investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office, the FBI's Dallas Field Office, the FBI's Memphis Field Office and the U.S. Capitol Police.
The big picture: Dozens of people have been arrested and charged so far for their alleged involvement in the riot.
Of note: Neither man has entered a plea in the cases. Munchel told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that the "intentions of going in were not to fight the police."
- "The point of getting inside the building is to show them that we can, and we will," he said, though he did not say whether he was carrying zip ties.
Go deeper: Laptop stolen from Pelosi's office during Capitol siege
