A California man who stormed the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection was arrested after his Uber driver tipped off the FBI, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday.
Driving the news: Jerry Daniel Braun allegedly told the Uber driver during a trip to his hotel on Jan. 6, 2021 that he tore down a barricade at the Capitol. The encounter was recorded by the driver's dashboard-mounted camera; the footage ultimately allowed the FBI to track him down.
Details: According to the Justice Department's affidavit, the clip shows a man bleeding near his right eye as the driver asks, "So, has it been violent all day?"
- "Well, it started around, right when I got there. I tore down the barricades," the man replies. When asked why, he adds, "So we could get to the Capitol."
- "Well, how’d that work out for ya?" the driver prods.
- "Well, it looks like, uh, Biden’s gonna be our president."
The FBI was also able to identify Braun in an officer's body camera footage, which allegedly shows Braun holding a long wooden plank that looks to be about eight feet in length.
- He appears to repeatedly strike a photographer who is wearing a helmet with the text "PRESS" displayed across the front, per the affidavit.
- Braun also allegedly sent a text message to someone on Jan. 6 saying, "We tried to stop the steal but they wouldn't let us in, where were you, the writing your next speech, we are sick of all the talk."
The big picture: Braun, who was arrested in California earlier this month, now faces charges of obstruction during civil disorder, entering and remaining on restricted grounds, and violent or disorderly conduct.