Edward Richmond Jr., a former U.S. Army soldier, was apprehended in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday, facing felony and misdemeanor charges linked to his alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Scheduled for a court appearance on Tuesday, the 40-year-old Richmond is confronting felony charges encompassing civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. He faces several misdemeanor charges.
Richmond’s Louisiana-based attorney, John McLindon, informed NBC News on Monday that his client intends to plead not guilty, anticipating the government’s pursuit of pretrial detention during Tuesday’s hearing.
Ex-Soldier Detained on January 6 Charges Previously Convicted in Lethal Shooting of Iraqi Citizen (Credits: CBS 21)
The Justice Department (DOJ) contends that Richmond was captured on body camera and CCTV footage assaulting law enforcement officers “multiple times” in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
This location, according to the DOJ, was a focal point for some of the most aggressive attacks against law enforcement officers during the incident.
Court documents reveal that Richmond traveled to Washington with approximately nine individuals for the January 6, 2021, rallies. On that day, he was attired in a black helmet, goggles, shoulder pads, a Louisiana State Flag patch, and an orange radio, as per court records.
In 2004, Richmond faced an Army court-martial panel, which convicted him of voluntary manslaughter for the killing of a handcuffed Iraqi civilian near Taal Al Jai, according to The Associated Press. Subsequently, he was sentenced to three years in prison and received a dishonorable discharge from the Army.
The Department of Justice has reported that over 1,265 individuals have been charged in connection to the January 6 Capitol attack, with more than 440 facing felony charges related to assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
