A former FBI special agent has been arrested and charged with multiple misdemeanor offenses in connection with the protest and riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. According to court documents unsealed on Monday, 50-year-old Jared L. Wise of Bend, Oregon, faces charges of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct, and disruptive conduct. Wise worked as an FBI special agent from 2004 to 2017 and was assigned to the FBI’s Portland field office, where he investigated cases involving white supremacist violence and child exploitation.
Surveillance footage from inside the Capitol allegedly shows Wise triumphantly clapping his hands and raising his arms after entering the building through a Senate wing door. He remained inside for approximately nine minutes before exiting through a nearby window. An anonymous tip sent to authorities more than a year after the attack claimed that Wise had entered the Capitol, prompting an investigation. Through a court-ordered search warrant, investigators obtained Wise’s cell phone records, which placed him in the vicinity of the Capitol at the time of the attack.
According to an FBI affidavit, Wise was heard encouraging other rioters attacking police officers to “kill ’em.” The riot that day ultimately injured more than 100 officers and temporarily halted the joint session of Congress that was meeting to certify Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Wise’s arrest makes him the second former law enforcement officer charged in the Capitol riot, following former Capitol police officer Thomas Robertson, who was arrested in January on seditious conspiracy charges. At least 19 current or former members of law enforcement now face charges related to the attack, including an ex-Drug Enforcement Agent, a former NYPD officer, and two off-duty Virginia police officers.
Wise’s alleged participation in the Capitol riot despite his law enforcement background has drawn criticism and raised questions about the presence of extremists within police ranks. His case is also notable as an example of the wide-ranging backgrounds and professions of those who took part in the attack, which represented a mix of Trump supporters, militia members, and others. As the sprawling investigation into the riot continues, more than 500 people have been arrested to date in connection with what happened that day.
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