COLORADO SPRINGS — According to a press release from the United States Department of Justice, a Colorado Springs man was arrested for his actions in the Capitol Breach on Jan. 6, 2021.
Officials say 33-year-old Tyler Ethridge is facing felony and misdemeanor charges. He was arrested in Denver and will make his first court appearance on July 8.
According to court documents, Ethridge was among rioters who were on Capitol grounds illegally on Jan. 6. He helped remove fencing on the northwest side of the Capitol and proceeded past barricades. Ethridge then climbed scaffolding and encouraged the crowd to continue fighting.
At approximately 2:35 p.m. he entered the Capitol and moved to the Rotunda.
"I'm probably going to lose my job as a pastor after this ... I think we're to a point where talk is cheap," Ethridge said in a video he posted on social media from the Rotunda. "If this makes me lose my, my reputation, I don't care."
He then left the Rotunda and headed to the Senate Chamber before being held back by law enforcement. He was in the U.S. Capitol for approximately 30 minutes.
"Don't be afraid of what they sentence you with," Ethridge said in a Sept. 24, 2021 post on social media. "I'm not. I'm ready for whatever I'll be charged with. America is still primed and ready."
Since the breach, over 850 individuals have been arrested for their crimes in the U.S. Capitol.
There are at least a dozen people from Colorado who face charges for their role in the riot. Here are the latest updates on what has happened to them since that day.
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