COPS have released photos of the brazen rioters wanted on federal charges after storming the US Capitol building, as the four people killed in the protests have been officially identified.
The FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies are hunting down suspects involved in the mass insurrection, when pro-Trump protesters broke into the Capitol building as Congress was affirming President-elect Joe Biden's election victory.
Read our US Politics live blog for the latest news as the US Capitol building is put into lockdown
“We have collected numerous images of persons of interests that we are asking the community to help us identify,” DC Police Chief Robert Contee said in a news conference on Thursday.
“These images depict individuals engaged in various acts of violence or property destruction.”
Dozens of charges are expected in Washington, DC's local and federal courts, including as many as 15 federal cases against people who are believed to be involved in the more serious alleged crimes, officials said Thursday.
FBI digital experts have been examining surveillance footage from the Capitol buildings and the area around the complex through the night.
The officials are using software to match images and faces with social media posts showing some of the chaos.
In some cases, people involved in storming the Capitol made social media postings ahead of the rally making clear what their plans were, which federal prosecutors can use to help bring charges, reported CNN.
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said “some participants in yesterday's violence will be charged today, and we will continue to methodically assess evidence, charge crimes and make arrests in the coming days and weeks to ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law.”
"The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack on our Government and the rule of law face the full consequences of their actions under the law," Rosen added.
He said federal authorities have also teamed up with other law enforcement agencies to gather evidence, identify those involved and charge those people with federal crimes.
It is likely the suspects will be quickly tracked down thanks to 'facial recognition' technology used by the FBI and Secret Service, former FBI Deputy Assistant Director Danny Coulson said.
The picture release comes as horned QAnon nut Jake Angeli vowed he would be back for inauguration after claiming he wasn’t worried about being arrested.
Coulson told Fox News on Thursday the incident was 'instigator-generated'.
The rioters had been stirred up by President Trump, who has spent weeks falsely attacking the 2020 election’s integrity and had urged supporters to protest Congress's formal approval of Biden's victory.
Calls have now been made by a bipartisan political uprising to force Trump from office using either the 25th Amendment or impeachment.
Two men and two women died in the violent uprising yesterday, including 35-year-old US Air Force veteran Ashli Babbit, who was shot dead by police after she tried enter the building.
Another three victims died after suffering 'medical emergencies' related to the breach.
They have been identified as Benjamin Phillips, 50, of Ringtown, Pennsylvania, Kevin Greason, 55, of Athens, Alabama, and Rosanne Boreland, 34, of Kennesaw, Georgia, DC Police Chief Robert Contee confirmed on Thursday.
CAPITOL ARRESTS
A total of 68 people were arrested near the Capitol between Wednesday afternoon and early Thursday morning, with more expected to be charged as authorities continue to identify and search suspects, police said.
Of those arrests, five were related to unlawful firearm possession and two were for other prohibited weapons including metal knuckles and blackjack-like weapons.
The majority of arrests were related to curfew violations and unlawful entry, with 48 arrests made on US Capitol grounds.
More than 50 Capitol and DC police were injured in the riot, including several who were hospitalized.
A 27-year-old Maryland woman, identified as Jessica Reinke, was arrested and charged with defacing public property and assaulting a police officer, according to police arrest records.
And only one person has been arrested on felony charges so far. The suspect, identified as Joshua Pruitt, 39, of DC, is charged with felony rioting, as well as unlawful entry and curfew violation.
Pruitt is reported to have ties to The Proud Boys, a white supremacist group that has been present at Trump rallies across the country in the past.
Christopher Alberts, from Maryland, was among the crowd of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol building, an event which he called 'the beginning of a revolution.'
'The people that were here today are going to come back even more, and we're not coming back peacefully, and we're not coming back unarmed,' he told The Dispatch. 'America's long overdue for revolution.'
The 33-year-old was later arrested and charged with carrying a pistol without a license and possessing a firearm on Capitol Grounds, among other charges.
A list of arrests released by the police department Thursday did not include several suspects who have already been identified on social media, including 'QAnon Shaman' Jake Angeli or Richard 'Bigo' Barnett, who broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk leaving a threatening message.
Dozens of those involved in the violent siege are yet to be identified and the FBI is now asking for help in hunting them down.
It has tweeted they are “accepting tips & digital media depicting rioting & violence in the U.S. Capitol Building & surrounding area on January 6, 2021.”
“If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant,” the FBI added.
Most of those already arrested have been accused of curfew violations. Others face charges of carrying a pistol without a license.
The former Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, has said the bureau must make “identifying, arresting, and prosecuting every single person that you possibly can that entered that Capitol building yesterday” a top priority.
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