Montana man brought his son to the US Capitol Riot charged

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Montana man who authorities say entered the U.S. Capitol with his juvenile son during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot was charged with misdemeanor crimes including disorderly conduct.

Patrick William O’Brien was arraigned Thursday by videoconference following his arrest last week in Great Falls, Montana, according to court records and the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to prosecutors the 54-year-old man drove his son for three days from Montana, Washington to avoid the riot. Authorities claim that video surveillance footage showed the pair entering the Capitol for 28 mins, during which they moved through corridors waving a flag.

According to the Department of Justice, O’Brien was indicted in Washington U.S. District Court with entering and staying in a restricted area or grounds, disorderly, disruptive and conduct in a restricted area or grounds, and disorderly behavior in a Capitol Building.

The federal court website did not post the criminal complaint immediately. It was also unclear who represented O’Brien in court. Unanswered messages left at the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia were not returned.

O’Brien is among more than 950 people arrested in connection with the riot in which former President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol while Congress was certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.