East Texas men indicted in U.S. Capitol insurrection

Published 1:02 pm Wednesday, February 17, 2021

This screenshot shows Alex Harkrider, left, and Ryan Nichols, with the bullhorn, at the U.S. Capitol building.

Two East Texas men accused of participating in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection have been indicted by a grand jury and are now facing multiple federal charges, according to court documents released this week.

Alex Kirk Harkrider, of Carthage, has been indicted on charges of civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; theft of government property; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon; unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on capitol grounds or buildings; disorderly conduct in a capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building in the District Court for the District of Columbia.



Ryan Taylor Nichols, of Longview, has been indicted on charges of civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon; unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on capitol grounds or buildings; disorderly conduct in a capitol building; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; and act of physical violence in the capitol grounds or buildings in the District Court for the District of Columbia.

Both men are accused of interfering with law enforcement performing official duties; attempting to impede or obstruct an official proceeding before Congress through civil disorder; and both men are accused of unlawfully entering the Capitol building with deadly or dangerous weapons: Harkrider with a tomahawk axe and Nichols with a crowbar and OC/pepper spray.

Harkrider is also accused of stealing a table leg.

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The two men were arrested last month. Two witnesses contacted the FBI separately after the Jan. 6 insurrection, telling agents that both Harkrider and Nichols had posted images and videos of themselves involved in the insurrection to their Facebook accounts.

Investigators followed up on the tips and found photos, screenshots and videos from both Harkrider and Nichols depicting them taking part in the insurrection, according to an arrest affidavit in the case. One photo, the affidavit said, showed both men in the Capitol with the caption “We’re in.”

In photos and videos, the affidavit said Nichols can be seen carrying a crowbar and bullhorn and is shown yelling “If you have a weapon, you need to get your weapon!” and “This is the second revolution right here folks! […] This is not a peaceful protest.”

Nichols can also be seen spraying an agent, believed to be pepper spray, towards U.S. Capitol police while Nichols, Harkrider and a large crowd is trying to shove their way into the building.

Another video, the affidavit noted, shows Harkrider leaning out from the Capitol through a broken window. Harkrider is also accused of sharing a Snapchat from inside the building that said “We’re in. 2 people killed already. We need all the patriots of this country to rally the f- — up and fight for our freedom or it’s gone forever. Give us liberty, or give us death. We won’t stand for it.”