WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Pulaski man has been charged in federal court for allegedly assaulting a law enforcement officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Riley Kasper’s social media posts are cited in the federal charges.
“One of the videos shows that person spraying an aerosol canister of what is believed to be pepper spray toward federal law enforcement officers (U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) officers) that were standing between the Capitol building and the rioters,” the complaint states.
Other images from law enforcement show a person believed to be Kasper holding what appears to be pepper spray. Kasper’s financial records show fuel purchases on a route between Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. area between Jan. 5-7. His Facebook page shows a variety of photos from the trip, as well.
Also cited are private messages he allegedly sent, discussing his actions:
“I pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home, gently brazed many others several times. I basically organized my own little militia and we (expletive) took over Congress”
“I mean the rest of the crowd gave support, but as you see in that video it was my group that busted the first gate and kept chasing the cops down and pushing them back into the capital”
“We got inside the capital then they started shooting rubber bullets at peoples heads, even when me and another guy were carrying a barely conciliatory dude with blood dripping off his knees from his head to the ambulance they kept shooting at the back of the 3 of us.”
The complaint lists a series of charges, including:
Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon to Inflict Bodily Injury
Civil Disorder
Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon
Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon
Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon
Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
Kasper was arrested in Ashland on Wednesday. Kasper made an initial appearance Thursday in a federal court in Madison. He was released on bond, with conditions including a prohibition on weapons possession or use, and he must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, court records show.
His next court date is Tuesday in Washington, D.C., which he can appear at via video conference.
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