Justice Department provided photos show Clayton “Clay” Norris using a megaphone to yell at police before he breached barriers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Clayton “Clay” Norris of Ohio has been arrested and charged after police say he was seen in video footage of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol using a megaphone to taunt police before he and other rioters muscled through metal fencing.
“We don’t want you guys. We want them,” Norris is accused of screaming at police before pushing past barricades and joining the advancing mob.
According to a statement of facts, Norris was arrested on May 3 after an FBI agent interviewed him at his job. It is unclear if he has retained an attorney as of Monday.
The Justice Department alleges that Norris arrived on Capitol grounds around 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 6 and from that point onward, he was seen in video footage pushing past metal bike rack barriers as he chanted and yelled at police lined up to defend the Capitol building.
“We got bad news, let us drain that swamp. All we ask if you walk away. Let us bring it. Let us bring,” he is accused of saying. “I got bad news. We’re pushing through. You better get down with us or back off because we’re pushing through.”
Other footage allegedly shows Norris telling people around him to exercise discretion as he urged: “Get ready to storm the Capitol!”
“Hey discretion. Discretion is the word. Discretion. We’re going to let it play out,” he said.
It was clear to prosecutors based on other remarks he made that he understood why Congress was meeting that day and he could be heard making references to objections to electoral certificates.
Whatever “discretion” he hoped to apply, police and prosecutors said that went out the window as Norris continued on to breach multiple barricades. Even after one line was briefly reestablished, prosecutors say Norris managed to get himself back behind the barricades again where he repeatedly yelled at police that “we don’t want you guys.”
He also urged the crowd to “make a stand, while there is still time to make a stand.”
“How long are you going to be peaceful and selfish? Think about the kids and future children. Make a stand. Make a stand for your country,” he allegedly yelled over his bullhorn.
Norris is also accused of being one of the first rioters to ascend stairs on the Capitol’s east side. It was here that a group of police were lined up and Norris screamed to them: “Send those motherf—— out to talk to us,” referencing lawmakers inside. The line at the steps on the east side wasn’t held for long and officers had to retreat while Norris and others allegedly surrounded them and chanted “Push forward!”
When chemical irritants were deployed by police, Norris fell back to the rear of the crowd.
The FBI said as part of its investigation into Norris, prior to his arrest on Friday, investigators obtained a search warrant to pore through his Facebook account. Within a week, prosecutors say they unearthed a wealth of social media records.
On the morning of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Norris sent a message to a group chat: “Pence don’t stand up today what choice do we have but to Riot!!!”
By 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 6, Norris allegedly sent another message to the group saying he “got mace” and “breached both sides of the white house brother.”
“Your affiant believes that Norris was referring to the U.S. Capitol building but mistakenly called it the ‘White House,’” the statement of facts notes.
Other Facebook Messenger texts showed Norris and another individual talking about bringing weapons to the Capitol, including hornet spray, bear spray and, specifically, the bug spray Raid.
Norris is charged with civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
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