WASHINGTON — A Missouri man photographed holding a pitchfork on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 repeatedly fought with police inside and outside of the building and used a bike rack as a battering ram in an attempt to regain entry after being expelled, according to new charging documents.
Christopher Brian Roe, of Raytown, Missouri, was charged last week on charges of assaulting police, civil disorder and damaging government property. The charges were unsealed Tuesday following Roe’s arrest in Missouri.
Roe was identified in part through a geofence warrant that identified his cell phone as being present at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Investigators then obtained a copy of his Missouri driver’s license photo, which they ran through facial recognition software to search images and video from the riot. The software turned up a match of a man they identified as Roe inside the Capitol wearing an American flag neck gaiter and black brace around his right wrist.
According to investigators, Roe can be seem on the grounds of the Capitol holding a pitchfork and saying on video that he had zip ties and duct tape, both of which can be seen in images included in the affidavit. Roe then made his way to the front lines where police were attempting to hold the crowd at bay on the west front of the Capitol. There, investigators say, Roe pushed and attempted to restrain and officer’s arm while still holding the pitchfork. Roe eventually dropped the pitchfork once he was hit with pepper spray.
Investigators say Roe later entered the building through the Upper West Terrace door and proceeded into Statuary Hall before making his way to the east entrance of the House of Representatives wing. Officers then pushed Roe and other rioters out of the building. While being pushed out, Roe allegedly again pushed an officer and wrapped his arm around their baton.
Roe re-entered the building through the East Rotunda Doors after it was again breached by rioters. Investigators say Roe can be seen on surveillance footage waving other rioters into the building and then using his body to block the doorway as officers again pushed him out of the Capitol.
Approximately 45 minutes later, investigators say Roe again attempted to re-enter the building by using a bike rack like a battering ram against the inner East Rotunda Doors.
“In his own attempt to break down the doors, ROE brought a bike rack into the alcove and rammed it against the inner doors roughly ten times,” the affidavit says. “At points, the door visibly buckled inwards against its hinges after ROE’s strikes.”
According to the affidavit, the Architect of the Capito determined rioters caused $980 in damage and repair cost to those doors – just $20 shy of the amount necessary to constitute a felony charge.
Roe was ordered to make an initial appearance via teleconference on July 25 at 1 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather in D.C. District Court.