Dallas man charged over Capitol siege arrested wearing 'I Was There, Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021' T-shirt
When law enforcement officers arrested Garret Miller at his Dallas home on Jan. 20 for his actions during and after the Capitol siege, he was wearing a T-shirt with "Take America Back," a picture of former President Donald Trump, and the words "I Was There, Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021," federal prosecutors said in a court filing Monday. Miller also called for the "execution" of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the lynching of a Black Capitol Police officer, the filing said.
A grand jury in February indicted Miller on 12 counts, including civil disorder, death threats, trespassing, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. He has not yet had a chance to enter a plea, but he has a virtual court hearing scheduled for Thursday on whether he should remain in pre-trial detention. Miller is currently being detained in Oklahoma City pending transfer to Washington, D.C. His transfer is on hold because he broke his collarbone playing soccer in a Dallas jail.
"Like many of the more than 300 people facing federal charges in connection with the siege, Miller thoroughly documented and commented on his actions that day in a flurry of social media posts," The Associated Press reports. After he posted a selfie of himself in the Capitol, for example, he told a friend on Facebook he "just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In the days after Jan. 6, Miller tweeted "Assassinate AOC" at Ocasio-Cortez, prosecutors say, and in a Jan. 10 Instagram post, he said the unidentified Capitol Police officer who fatally shot rioter Ashli Babbitt should be executed on TV. Miller was obsessed with identifying the officer, and he eventually blamed a Black officer, posting his photo on Facebook. He said on Instagram the officer is "a prize to be taken," adding "He will swing. ... I had a rope in my bag on that day," prosecutors said. In a Jan. 18 Facebook conversation, he repeatedly advocated murdering the officer, saying at one point, "We going to get a hold of him and hug his neck with a nice rope."
A search of Miller's home found two ropes, several firearms, body armor, ammunition, and a crossbow, the filing says.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 24, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - taped bananas, flying monkeys, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Spanish cop, 20 million euros and 13 tonnes of cocaine
In the Spotlight Óscar Sánchez Gil, Chief Inspector of Spain's Economic and Tax Crimes Unit, has been arrested for drug trafficking
By The Week UK Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the rise and fall of Matt Gaetz
Cartoons Artists take on age brackets, backbiting, and more
By The Week US Published
-
DOJ demands changes at 'abhorrent' Atlanta jail
Speed Read Georgia's Fulton County Jail subjects inmates to 'unconstitutional' conditions, the 16-month investigation found
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
China tries to bury deadly car attack
Speed Read An SUV drove into a crowd of people in Zhuhai, killing and injuring dozens — but news of the attack has been censored
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Menendez brothers may go free in LA prosecutor plan
Speed Read Prosecutors are asking for the brothers to be resentenced for the 1989 murder of their parents
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Abercrombie ex-CEO charged with sex crimes
Speed Read Mike Jeffries ran the brand during its heyday from 1992 to 2014
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump criminal trial starts with rulings, reminder
Speed Read The first day of his historic trial over hush money payments was mostly focused on jury selection
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Parents of school shooter sentenced to 10-15 years
Speed Read Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents to be convicted in a US mass shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Unlicensed dealers and black market guns
Speed Read 68,000 illegally trafficked guns were sold in a five year period, said ATF
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bankman-Fried gets 25 years for fraud
Speed Read Former "crypto king" Sam Bankman-Fried will report to federal prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published