After what NBC reported was a span of several hours this week in which he refused to comply, Trump rioter Eric Christie, who hails from southern California, was arrested on Thursday for his participation in the Trump-incited attack on the Capitol last year.
Journalist Ryan Reilly posted footage of a portion of the stand-off showing a team of the better part of a dozen at least mostly armed personnel in tactical gear, most of whom were seated on the back part of a truck. In the footage, at least three individuals — none of whom are visible on screen in the clip Reilly posted — yell and jeer at the law enforcement agents. One brought up inflation, including the costs of gas and turkey, mocking what was transpiring as supposedly wasting government resources. Nationally, averages for gas prices actually continue declining. Christie, who carried a hammer during the Capitol chaos and was identified by info including his first name across two interviews that federal agents did with other participants in the day’s events, now faces accusations of multiple felonies — charges made more serious by the hammer that he was carrying.
His charges include entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. Carrying that hammer brings the potential jail sentence from a max of one year on each count to up a decade on each allegation. One of the other riot participants who the FBI spoke with in building the case against Christie provided agents with his phone number, allowing agents to jump pretty quickly to identifying that Christie participated in the riot. At the Capitol, he at one point climbed atop a government vehicle, where he shouted into a megaphone: “It’s a MAGA party, it’s a MAGA party,” “welcome to MAGA country, District of Columbia,” “come on, you can come up… It’s your house,” “You’re invited, it’s your house,” and “Beverly Hills in the house.” Those comments are all cited in a court filing made in his case. A hearing on his detention was scheduled for yesterday afternoon.
Eric Christie’s buddies gave the FBI an earful about… the cost of turkeys. pic.twitter.com/uUlYs1CZNY
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) December 23, 2022
