Florida Men Invade Capitol

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Florida Man, Adam Johnson was photographed stealing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s lectern on January 6, 2021 during the insurrection of Donald J. Trump. Johnson was arrested in Bradenton Florida and released on $25,000 bond on January 8, 2021 awaiting trail. He has been charged with three felonies.

He was released on conditions that his wife co-sign his $25,000 bond and that he abides by a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew with GPS monitoring. He also was ordered to surrender all firearms and other dangerous weapons and any travel documents including his passport.

His travel will be restricted to the Middle District of Florida and Washington, D.C. – the latter only for court matters. He is also required to submit to substance abuse testing and evaluation as determined appropriate by pretrial services.

Johnson’s next appearance is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2021 in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

Other Florida Men arrested for their actions on January 6 , 2021 include, include,

Joseph R. Biggs 37, Ormond Beach, FL, a Florida-based organizer of Proud Boys events. Arrested on January 17, 2021. He was granted a $25,000 unsecured bond in Orlando.

Samuel Camargo, 26, Broward County, FL. He was arrested at Biden’s inauguration Wednesday after police failed to find him in his Broward County home. A former classmate and social media friend tipped off the FBI that Camargo had posted pictures and content on his Instagram and Facebook pages showing him participating in the rally and riot on Jan. 6.

Matthew Council 49, Riverview, FL allegedly pushed an officer after unlawfully entering the Capitol building, according to the Department of Justice.

Michael Curzio 35, Summerfield, Marion County, FL, He was released from prison in February 2019 following an 8 year sentence for attempted first-degree murder, according to records from the Florida Department of Corrections. He was initially arrested on January 6, 2021 when he was caught near the House atrium during a riot at the Capitol. He was arrested again January 11, 2021 in Marion County Florida.

Gabriel Augustin Garcia, FL was a former Army captain. The FBI said that Gabriel Augustin Garcia published live footage from inside the building. He is a reported member of the right-wing group Proud Boys. He was arrested on January 16, 2021. Garcia turned the camera to himself while filming and said: “We just went ahead and stormed the Capitol. It’s about to get ugly.” A crowd around him chanted “Our house!”

Vitali Goss Jankowski, Honeycutt, FL is a deaf man. In a publicly available video, he is shown near an entrance to the U.S. Capitol building, assisting with passing ballistic shields away, and possessing a black-colored handheld Taser that was handed to him. He activating the Taser multiple times, and pushing himself towards the police line that was protecting the entrance to the U.S. Capitol building.

Rachel Lynn Pert 40, and Dana Joe Winn 45, Middleburg FL, a couple live-streamed their drive to D.C. for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. “We’re on our way to DC because us as American patriots, we’re tired of this shit,” Winn allegedly said in their live-stream. “It’s time to make a stand. I never really knew how deep and corrupt all this crap was and how far back it’s gone. But American needs to wake up. We’re on the verge of fucking losing it.”

Steve Omar Maldanado, 40, Central FL. He was arrested by FBI agents February 10, 2021 at the Orlando International Airport. Maldonado was identified by three unidentified acquaintances who have known him “for many years.” He was released on a $25,000 bond in Orlando Florida, and his case was removed to a court in Washington, D.C.

Anthony Mariotto, 52, Fort Pierce FL. His next court date is set for March 30, 2021. He took a photo of himself in the house chambers. His Facebook post stated, “This is our house.”

Felipe Marquez 25, Coral Springs, Fl drove his Tesla to DC to be a part of the insurrection. He posted several videos of himself at the scene onto the social media app Snapchat.

Jesus D. Rivera, Pensacola FL was arrested January 17, 2021. Rivera uploaded a five-minute video to his Facebook account on Jan. 6, in which he can be identified among people involved in the Capitol riot. Earlier the day of the riot, Rivera made two Facebook live broadcasts showing him approach the Capitol, and the building surrounded by protesters. Rivera was scheduled to appear in court at 3 p.m.January 17, 2021 before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth M. Timothy at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola Florida.

Michael Stepakoff 55, Palm Harbor, Fl, Messianic rabbi. In Capitol surveillance video, the DOJ said he could be seen taking approximately eight photos with his cell phone. A person familiar with Stepakoff for roughly 20 years was able to identify him to officials. He took a selfie showing him outside the Capitol in a large group of people. Stepakoff’s wife commented on one of his posts saying, “please continue to [pray] for his protection and to be safe. He texted me privately and said he is okay but it’s very dangerous where he is- He was inside the Capital Building.”

Bradley Weeks 43, Macclenny, Baker County, FL faced a federal magistrate in Jacksonville February 8, 2021. He was released on a $5,000 “signature bond,” where no cash was paid up-front but he could be forced to pay if he violated terms of his release.

Andrew Williams, Sanford FL, firefighter and paramedic. He was arrested January 9, 2021 by federal law enforcement. He was brought to the federal courthouse in Orlando in shackles. Williams was released from custody January 9, 2021 and ordered to have a psychiatric and mental health evaluation. He also must stay in the state’s Middle District, except to attend court proceedings in Washington, D.C.

In State

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Brian D. Sicknick, the Capitol officer who died defending the building from insurrectionists is just the fifth person to have that honor. He lay in state on February 3, 2021.

On January 6, 2021 at the direction of the former President a riotous mob stormed the building. The mob chanted that they wanted to kill Vice President Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi. Five people died that day.

The Senators and Congress were evacuated to safe locations just moments before the mob forced their way into the chambers. Lawmakers passes within 65 feet of the mob wandering the halls. Some insurrectionists carried zip ties to restrain lawmakers. Had Capitol police not put up the resistance the did the death toll might have been much higher.

“Blessed are the peacekeepers like Brian,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader. “Let us be peacekeepers now in his memory.” The chief, as well as the top security officials in the House and the Senate, all resigned in the aftermath of the riot. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill placed their hands over their hearts in honor. “We must be vigilant as what President Lincoln referred to as the harsh artillery of time. We will never forget,” Ms. Pelosi said during the ceremony.

Citing two law enforcement officials, the New York Times reported that Sicknick was struck with a fire extinguisher at some point during the breach of Congress. However, reports of an attack have not been confirmed. “Nearly 140 Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police officers were injured in the assault. Some were not issued helmets, and one officer was stabbed with a metal fence stake. Another has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal disks, and a third is going to lose his eye.” Gus Papathanasiou, the Capitol Police Union chairman, said in a statement. Two other officers have committed suicide since the attack on the capitol.

Bulletproof Democracy

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The Capitol building has heightened security after the domestic terrorist attacks of January 6, 2021. All house members now must go through metal detectors before entering the chambers and they are being told they can purchase bulletproof vests, get security training, and those expenses will be re-reimbursed.

Some republican members grew angry and refused to go through the metal detectors, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced $5,000 fines for a first offense and $10,000 fines for a second offense for any lawmaker that didn’t go through security.

Pelosi in a statement said she expressed her “deepest gratitude to the U.S. Capitol Police for the valor that they showed” during the pro-Trump riot and claimed some Republicans “disrespected our heroes by verbally abusing them and refusing to adhere to basic precautions,” by refused to go through the metal detectors.

Members of Congress on January 12, 2021 were also reminded not to carry guns outside of their own offices, including onto the floor of the House, reiterating an existing rule several House Republicans have publicly and privately lobbied against. Freshman Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who owns a firearm-themed restaurant in Rifle, Colorado. Caused some controversy last week when she vowed in a viral ad to bring her Glock to work. During the January 6 attacks Boebert also tweeted out the movements of Nancy Pelosi which would make it easier for rioters to find the House Speaker.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), said in a Facebook live video that she had a close encounter on the day of the insurrection in which she thought she was going to die. Many members of the house were nearly assassinated. She sensed that something was wrong no only from the crowd violence but from the inside. She did not feel safe going to the extraction point to shelter inn place with other lawmakers, because there were QAnon adherents  and white supremacists sheltering with her. She knew that given an opportunity, they would allow for her to be kidnapped and hurt.

Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), one of the 10 GOP members of Congress who voted to impeach President Donald Trump, said Thursday he believed his life might be in danger and he was planning to buy body armor to protect himself. Before the vote January 13, 2021, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) claimed more Republicans would have joined Democrats in impeaching Trump had they not been “paralyzed with fear” about the threats to their lives.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern, stolen by a Florida man in Capitol riot, has been returned. She used the same lectern on January 13, 2021 after the House impeached President Donald Trump,a second time. From behind the lectern, she said the House demonstrated that “no one is above the law. Not even the president of the United States,” while calling Trump “a clear and present danger to the United States.” Before the impeachment, She personally thanked the troops and their families “for protecting the Capitol and our democracy.”

Rep, Mikie Sherrell (D-NJ), revealed that there were suspicious “tours” of the Capitol the day before the insurrection. There had been no tours allowed due to the pandemic. The sight was so unexpected that they called the Sargent at Arms. The only way the ours could have gotten in would be with a lawmaker or his staff. The next day during the insurection, the terrorists had inside information about the layout of the capitol building.

Lawmakers were warned of multiple potential threats between now and inauguration day, January 20, 2021. One alleged plot involved rioters potentially seeking to surround the Supreme Court and the Capitol with weapons, to prevent Democrats from entering Congress and allowing Republicans to control both chambers, the sources said. Members of Congress and their guests will have to go through  through metal detectors for President-elect Joe Biden‘s inauguration next week, because of concerns from Democrats that GOP colleagues may have helped incite the riot or communicated with organizers.

Coward’s Coup

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Donald Trump called followers to Washington D.C. for a “Wild” time. He had been feeding then lies about how his election had been stolen for weeks. When Trump incited his protestors at the White House, he claimed he would walk beside then to the Capitol where ballots were being counted and confirmed. However when he go off the stage he slipped away to watch the protest unfold on TV fro the comfort of the White House.

Trump likely considers the seditious coup attempt as a win. He celebrated the unfolding violence like a football fan cheering on his team. His cult followers succeeded in forcing their way into the capitol and they all walked away to brag about their exploits in various D.C. hotel lobbies. Few protestors were arrested in the capitol the few arrests that did happen came afterwards because of a curfew instated by the mayor of D.C. Muriel Bowser.

Senators and congressmen were whisked away just moments before the cambers were breached. On congressman knew the head of the National Guard in Maryland and he called for help. Help would not come until approval was granted from higher up, namely the presidential office. Hours passes with no such approval but Mike Pence finally stepped in to get troops on the ground. Violent insurrection works, and Trump and his followers will try again. Protestors are only concerned that they didn’t do more damage to the democracy. Rumors circulated that they wanted to hang Mike Pence and a noose was hung from a gallows outside the capitol building. Terrorists had zip ties to restrain any legislators they found. It is pure luck that legislators escaped a far worse fate. Trump was hoping for authoritarian control of the government but the cult followers didn’t know what to do once they got inside the capitol. The anarchy had no focus, much like the POTUS’s own disjointed approach to everything.

Some Capitol police simply invited the terrorists into the Capitol while others held their ground at all costs. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said late Thursday January 14, 2021 that he would resign, hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for him to be fired for the extraordinary security failure. Senate Sergeant at Arms, Michael Stenger, and House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, will leave his position as well. But what about the instigator in chief? Will Pence invoke the 25th Amendment that would remove the POTUS from office? Pence might want to run for president in 2024 so he needs the support of the lunatic fringe. Peloci want to impeach again but can that happen in 12 days? I doubt it. Many Republicans still back the big lie that the election was not fair. Even after facing possible murder by an angry mob, they hold tight to the lie that caused the sedition.

Live pipe bombs were found outside the DNC and RNC and weapons like lead pipes and even fire arms were used. A Capitol police office died from his injuries. Thankfully these terrorists are not smart. They filmed themselves commuting their crimes with their cell phones. Dan Rather made a great point, in that it would be much harder to identify these idiots if they wore masks. Of course it was a man from Florida, Adam Christian Johnson who had his photo taken as he walked of with House Speaker’s lectern. Arrests are happening all across the country now since so many shared their crimes on social media. Trump has already invoked the punishment for destruction of Goverment property, it is a $250,000 fine and, ten years imprisonment. I hope everyone who entered the Capitol gets that sentence. Of course the largely mask less protest will become the latest super spreader event, allowing the virus to spread across the country.

In 1923 Adolph Hitler had a failed coup attempt in Germany with no major consequences. He spent 8 months behind bars, during which time he dictated Mein Kampf, his political autobiography. Ten years later he took power in Germany. If there is no consequences for Trump, insurrections like the one at the capitol will continue. Twitter shut down Trump’s account permanently but far more action is needed. Inciting violence against the government hasn’t happened since the civil war. It is not a time to turn the other cheek.

Blackhawk

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As a show of force, Donald Trump positioned at least 60 National Guard troops clad in riot gear on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. Many wore masks and protective eye covering but some followed the presidents lead and ignored the Covid-19 virus threat. The scene came a day after President Trump threatened to send in soldiers to patrol the streets of D.C. and other US cities. They faced off a crowd of perhaps a hundred protestors gathered at the reflection pool, standing in the same spot where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic ‘I have a dream’ speech half a century ago. The monument is a symbol of emancipation and justice but on this day it was a symbol of strong arm militarization against the American public. This is also the spot where Forest Gump was reunited with Jenny. In this fictitious movie Forest and Jenny crossed a divide, fining hope and love in the face of civil unrest.

16 statues and memorial were defaced during the Sunday May 31, 2020 protests. The graffiti on this public art was removed by Tuesday June 2, 2020. The Shaw Memorial, dedicated 123 years ago on May 31st, the same day it was defaced. The memorial celebrates the first African American volunteer infantry unit, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, that fought after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. At the Lincoln Memorial vandals wrote “Yall not tired yet?” in black spray paint. There was also some spatter at the base of Lincoln’s legs. It is strange that vandals would attack a monument to someone who fought for their freedom. Because of the actions of the vandals, peaceful protestors would suffer.

A US Park Police spokesperson said Friday in an interview it was a “mistake” to insist in a statement on Tuesday June 2, 2020, that it didn’t use tear gas in Lafayette Square, near the White House, to disperse a crowd ahead of President Trump’s photo op, at Saint Luke’s Church, explicitly noting that pepper balls shot by officials irritate the eyes and cause tears. The White House insisted on semantics, asking the press to retract their earlier reports. The reports were accurate. “Tear gas” is a broad term, often defined as a synthetic chemical irritant. Pepper spray is a naturally derived chemical irritant that causes many effects similar to that of common types of tear gas, including temporary blindness and a burning sensation in the nose. Regardless of the gas used by the various agencies, it was an attack on peaceful demonstrators as seen in video shot during the attack.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper joined Donald Trump on the walk across the street to St Luke’s Church after the attack that cleared the street. He claimed ignorance over the church stunt, saying, “I didn’t know where I was going.” He claimed that he was going along to inspect damage to the vandalized bathroom across from the church. He didn’t have much time to inspect the urinals since Trump marched across the street where he was handed a bible for a photo op. I couldn’t get the thought of him going to inspect the urinals. Up until the 60s bathrooms and water fountains were segregated, with signs for Blacks and Whites. It is as if Trump wants to use the military to bring us back to those days. Regardless it isn’t reassuring that the defense secretary had no idea where he was going. He was just along for Trumps wild ride.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  said Thursday June 4, 2020 that it was “stunning” and “scary” to see uniformed troops standing on the steps of Lincoln Memorial. “They crossed a threshold,” She said at a news conference in the Capitol. “While I have great respect for men and women in uniform, I don’t think it was appropriate to have them on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial,”

When Esper realized the Church stunt made him look like a fool, he broke with the president and said he didn’t think the troops should be used to police American citizens. Later that day he was called in to the White House and he reversed his decision deciding to leave troops in DC. 200 soldiers with the 82nd Airborne remained in DC. Finally two days later Esper ordered the active duty troops who were moved to the Washington DC area back to their home base of Fort Drum in New York.

On Tuesday June 2, 2020 Trump ordered military helicopters to fly low over protestors in DC. The National Guard is investigating this unusual show of force. The War Zone reported, that one UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter struck a tree and caused a branch to fall, narrowly missing people below. Another FBI-operated Blackhawk flew low over the capital carrying members of the bureau’s elite hostage rescue team, dressed in camouflaged clothing and wearing night vision goggles. Still another helicopter, a U.S. Army or Washington D.C. UH-72 Lakota, flew so low over protesters that the down wash from the main rotors kicked up dirt and debris. The overflight was done deliberately to intimidate or disperse protesters on the ground.

Former General James Mattis strongly denounced the actions of Donald Trump who had turned the military against American citizens. While Esper caved to his ideals as Trump used the Military as his personal play thing, Mattis felt he had to stand against his former commander in chief.

Friday June 5, 2020 saw another record number of new cases of Covid-19 since the sate re-opened with 1,495 cases reported. That is over 4,000 new cases in three days.