Riley D. Kasper at the Jan. 6 Capitol Insurrection: Video Screen Shot
Staff Report –
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Trump supporter from Wisconsin was arrested last week for assaulting police and using a deadly or dangerous weapon during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted the peaceful transfer of power by delaying a joint session of Congress in the process of certifying the electoral votes confirming Joe Biden as the winner in the presidential election of 2020, not Trump.
Riley D. Kasper, 23, of Pulaski, Wisconsin, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers with a deadly and dangerous weapon with the intent to inflict bodily injury and civil disorder, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building and grounds. He was arrested in Ashland, Wisconsin, and made his initial appearance in the Western District of Wisconsin, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, starting at approximately 1:50 p.m., Kasper sprayed an aerosol canister of what is believed to be pepper spray towards law enforcement officers attempting to secure the Capitol building and grounds.
Kasper also communicated on social media with another individual, declaring, among other things, “I pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home,” and “As you can see in that video, it was my group that busted the first gate and kept chasing the cops down and pushing them back at the capitol.”
The next day, Kasper communicated with another individual on social media, saying, “You charge that line and start spraying they start running for cover like you’re coming at them with an ak” and “there is definitely something satisfying about pepper spraying cops in riot gear …”
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 14 months since Jan. 6, more than 775 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 245 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
