London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Feb 22, 2026

Keep Data Of Capitol Rioters: Senator To CEOs Of Social Media Firms

Keep Data Of Capitol Rioters: Senator To CEOs Of Social Media Firms

Jacob Anthony Chansley, who featured prominently on social media wearing horns, a fur pelt, face paint and brandishing a spear adorned with the U.S. flag, turned himself in to police.

Federal agents arrested two more Capitol Hill rioters whose images had gone viral, of one carrying off the House speaker's lectern and another who wore horns and a fur pelt, while a top Democratic lawmaker called on mobile carriers to preserve social media content related to the carnage.

Dozens of people have been charged following the storming of the Capitol on Wednesday, with the FBI asking the public to help identify participants, given the proliferation of images of the riots on the internet. Five people have died, including a police officer.

Jacob Anthony Chansley, who featured prominently on social media wearing horns, a fur pelt, face paint and brandishing a spear adorned with the U.S. flag, turned himself in to police, the Department of Justice said.

Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, called the FBI's Washington office on Thursday and later told agents "he came as part of a group effort with other 'patriots' from Arizona, at the request of the President that all 'patriots' come to D.C. on Jan. 6," the DOJ said in a release.

Federal agents also arrested Adam Christian Johnson, whose photo as he smiled and waved as he carried off House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern also went viral. Johnson, of Parrish, Florida, also streamed live video on Facebook of himself as he walked the halls of the Capitol, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The video has been removed from online platforms and all of Johnson's pages have been taken down.

On Saturday Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who is the incoming chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote to the chief executives of 11 mobile carriers and social media companies, urging them to preserve content and associated meta-data connected to the riot, which erupted as lawmakers gathered to certify the election of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden.

In his letters, Warner emphasized how the rioters took time to document the event and share it through social media and text messages "to celebrate their disdain for our democratic process."

Before his arrest, NBC network reported, Chansley gloated about how the crowd infiltrated the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee.

"The fact that we had a bunch of traitors in office, hunkered down, put on gas masks and retreat to their underground bunker, I consider that a win," he said to NBC News.

Chansley faces several federal charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Media reports said Chansley had often been seen at rallies supporting Trump. Efforts by Reuters on Saturday to reach his relatives were unsuccessful, as were attempts to contact Johnson's family.

It was unclear where Chansley was being held Saturday, or whether he or Johnson had legal representation.

Johnson, who has a first appearance in federal court on Monday, is being charged out of Washington.

Threats To Speaker


One man who was arrested in connection with the events at the Capitol and threats to lawmakers told FBI agents he arrived in Washington on Thursday, a day late for the rally, after being delayed en route in Ohio, federal court documents showed.

Cleveland Meredith was found with a Tavor X95 assault rifle, a Glock pistol, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and was detained in connection with making threats to Pelosi after an FBI agent read Jan. 7 text messages in which Meredith talked about "putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV" and running her over with his truck, according to a criminal complaint.

At least a dozen other people were facing criminal charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in connection to the riot, and at least another 40 people faced lesser charges in the District of Columbia Superior Court, a local venue. Many of them were arraigned on Thursday and released, with an order from the judge not to return to Washington unless for court appearances or meetings with their attorneys.

They included Richard Barnett, the Gravette, Arkansas, man who was photographed sitting at a desk in Pelosi's office, his feet up on the furniture.

Nicholas Ochs, self-professed leader of the Hawaii chapter of the far-right Proud Boys group and who made a failed bid for a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives in November, was arrested on his return to Honolulu and charged with unlawful entry into restricted buildings or grounds, federal prosecutors said in a statement. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer.

Among those arrested Friday for participating in the riot was West Virginia House of Delegates member Derrick Evans, who announced his resignation on Saturday in a one-line statement.

Evans, who had just been elected in November and on his campaign website had promoted himself as "a Pro Trump conservative who will always stand up, speak out, and Fight For Christian Values," live-streamed himself entering the Capitol on Wednesday, and was recorded saying, "We're in, we're in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol," the Justice Department said in a release.

The FBI and the Washington police department's homicide unit are jointly investigating the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was injured while defending the Capitol. Sicknick had just been sworn in with the U.S. Capitol Police Department, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Steven D'Antuono, the FBI Washington Field Office's assistant director in charge, said on Friday that rioters who had since returned home were not safe from arrest.

"Just because you've left the D.C. region, you can still expect a knock on the door if we find out you were part of the criminal activity at the Capitol," D'Antuono said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Weighs Removing Prince Andrew from Line of Succession After Arrest
Prince Andrew’s Arrest in UK Rekindles Scrutiny Over US Handling of Epstein Records
Trump’s Strategic Warning to UK Over Chagos Islands Deal Sparks Diplomatic Whiplash
Starmer Government Postpones Local Elections Affecting 4.5 Million Voters
UK Economy Remains Fragile Despite Recent Upturn in Headline Indicators
UK Businesses Face Fresh Uncertainty Following US Tariff Ruling
Reform UK’s Senior Figures Face Scrutiny Over Remarks on Women and Family Policy
UK Electric Vehicle Drive Threatened by Shortage of 44,000 Qualified Technicians
University of Kentucky Trustees Advance Academic Reforms and Approve Coliseum Plaza Purchase
Boris Johnson Calls for Immediate Deployment of UK Troops to Support Ukraine
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
North Korea's capital experiences a significant construction boom with the development of a new city district dubbed 'Pyonghattan'.
New electric vehicle charging service eliminates waiting times
Vox Populi confronts Justin Trudeau at Davos over vaccination policies
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki ENDS support for Ukrainian citizens:
The mayor of Rotherham in Britain
One day after ex-Prince Andrew's arrest, British police are searching his former home, while U.K. lawmakers will consider introducing legislation to remove him from the line of royal succession
Vandana Shiva reminding the world that Bill Gates did not invent anything.
Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni highlights record employment and economic growth
UK Confirms Preferential U.S. Trading Terms Will Continue After Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
U.S. and U.K. to Hold Talks on Diego Garcia as Iran Objects to Potential Military Use
UK Officials Weigh Possible Changes to Prince Andrew’s Position in Line of Succession Amid Ongoing Scrutiny
British Police Probe Epstein’s UK Airport Links and Expand High-Profile Inquiries
The Impact of U.S. Sanctions on Cuba's Humanitarian Crisis: A Tightening Noose
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
British Co-founder of ASOS falls to his death from Pattaya apartment
Early 2026 Data Suggests Tentative Recovery for UK Businesses and Households
UK Introduces Digital-First Passport Rules for Dual Citizens in Border Control Overhaul
Unable to Access Live Financial Data for January UK Surplus Report
UK Government Considers Law to Remove Prince Andrew from Royal Line of Succession
UK ‘Working Closely with US’ to Assess Impact of Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
Trump Criticises UK Decision to Restrict Use of Bases in Potential Iran Strike Scenario
UK Foreign Secretary and U.S. State Chief Hold Strategic Talks as Tensions Rise Over Joint Air Base
Two teens arrested in France for alleged terror plot.
Nordic Fracture: How Criminal Scandals and Toxic Ties are Dismantling the Norwegian Crown
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
King Charles III Opens London Fashion Week as Royal Family Faces Fresh Scrutiny
Trump’s Evolving Stance on UK Chagos Islands Deal Draws Renewed Scrutiny
House Democrat Says Former UK Ambassador Unable to Testify in Congressional Epstein Inquiry
No Record of Prince Andrew Arrest in UK as Claims Circulate Online
UK Has Not Granted US Approval to Launch Iran Strikes from RAF Bases, Government Confirms
AI Pricing Pressure Mounts as Chinese Models Undercut US Rivals and Margin Risks Grow
Global Counsel, Advisory Firm Co-Founded by Lord Mandelson, Enters Administration After Client Exodus
London High Court dispute over Ricardo Salinas’s $400mn Elektra share-backed bitcoin loan
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Former Student Files Civil Claim Against UK Authorities After Rape Charges Against Peers Are Dropped
Archer Aviation Chooses Bristol for New UK Engineering Hub to Drive Electric Air Taxi Expansion
UK Sees Surge in Medical Device Testing as Government Pushes Global Competitiveness
×