BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – A former United States army soldier with a history of legal issues is facing new charges after being arrested for his involvement in the US Capitol attack. Edward Richmond Jr, 40, was taken into custody in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, accused of assaulting police officers during the January 6 riot.
According to an affidavit from an FBI agent, Richmond was seen wearing protective gear as he attacked police officers with a baton in a tunnel outside the Capitol. This incident led to charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding police with a dangerous weapon.
Richmond’s attorney, John McLindon, stated that he had not yet seen the charging documents and was unable to provide immediate comment on the case. This arrest comes after Richmond’s history of legal troubles, which included a court-martial conviction for voluntary manslaughter in the killing of a handcuffed Iraqi civilian in 2004.
The former army soldier originally faced more severe charges, but the court-martial panel ultimately convicted him of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced him to three years in prison, along with a dishonorable discharge from the army. The army reported that Richmond shot the Iraqi civilian in the back of the head, claiming he believed the man was going to harm a fellow soldier.
During the Capitol riot, Richmond was captured on body camera footage repeatedly assaulting police officers with a black baton. The FBI was able to identify Richmond with the help of a witness who revealed that he had traveled to Washington DC with a “security team” for rallies planned for January 6.
This arrest adds to the over 1,200 people who have been charged with Capitol riot-related crimes. It also highlights the ongoing efforts to hold those involved accountable for their actions during the events of January 6. Nearly 900 individuals have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials, with over 750 having been sentenced and nearly 500 receiving imprisonment terms, according to data compiled by the Associated Press.