Eric, 30, has been identified as the man photographed in tactical gear and holding plastic restraints known as zip ties inside the Senate during Wednesday’s riot at the U.S. Capitol. Later on Sunday, he was arrested on federal charges.
According to the Daily Mail, Eric traveled to Washington from Nashville, Tennessee, with his mother, Lisa, 57. The Times of London reported that Eric described the trip as “a kind of flexing of muscles.” Neither has responded publicly to the charges, which are allegations that have not been proven in court.
The photo of Eric in the Senate press gallery holding several flex cuffs went viral, and many people questioned why he and others brought restraints and military style gear. The Sparrow Project reports that his distinctive gear helped people identify him.
Federal authorities said he was taken into custody on a warrant charging him with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
A law enforcement official told The Washington Post that investigators were not treating the events as a grand conspiracy, but that they wanted to learn what people planned to do with items like zip ties. The FBI was also reviewing whether any group had plans to harm or take lawmakers hostage.
Another man seen with zip ties, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Larry, told The New Yorker he picked them up off the floor and planned to hand them to a police officer. Prosecutors said the arrests were only the start and that more charges were expected.
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