Name: Rioter seen posing for pictures in Nancy Pelosi's office is from Northwest Arkansas
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Rioter seen posing for pictures in Nancy Pelosi's office is from Northwest Arkansas

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Breaking NewsA Northwest Arkansas man seen in a viral photo in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's following a riot at Capitol Hill could face federal charges.Credit: AFP via Getty ImagesTOPSHOT - A supporter of US President Donald Trump sits inside the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as he protest inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021. - Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)5:59 PM CST January 6, 2021GRAVETTE, Ark. — A Northwest Arkansas man seen in a viral photo sitting behind a desk in Nancy Pelosi's office during a riot where President Trump supporters could face federal charges for his actions, according to the FBI.&nbsp;Shortly after President Donald Trump addressed his supporters Wednesday (Jan. 6) afternoon, vowing "never to concede" the election, large crowds of Trump supporters marched to the U.S. Capitol and breached police barricades, making their way into the building and inside Senate chambers. due to the chaos caused by rioters at the Capitol on Wednesday.&nbsp;Among the most striking images from the day was one of a man with his foot on a desk in Speaker Pelosi's office. That man is Richard Barnett of Gravette, Arkansas.&nbsp;5NEWS spoke with Barnett, and he confirmed he was the man in the photo sitting at a desk in Speaker Pelosi's office. He claims he was just looking for a bathroom inside the Capitol building.&nbsp;×Richard BarnettMoreBarnett traveled to Washington to hear President Trump speak. "The crowds were unbelievable," he said.In his interview with 5NEWS, Barnett expressed his anger with the police response at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.&nbsp;"We marched down there. They start tear-gassing us. They start roughing up our people. It pissed some people off," Barnett said. "They went to the front door, and they started demanding to be let inside. I wasn't even up there at that point. I was climbing the steps to see what was going on. When I got to the top, they had breached the doors and were trying to get in."Barnett says he was pushed inside the Capitol when a mob broke through the doors and found Pelosi's office sometime later. Regardless of how he entered the building, he still participated in the unprecedented rioting that took place inside.&nbsp;He says he carried a flag into her office, left her a note, and was removed by Capitol Police.&nbsp;"I threw my feet up on the desk at that point. I realized some a**holes had cut me also and I bled on her envelope, so I picked up the envelope and put it in my pocket, and I put a quarter on the desk cause I'm not a thief," Barnett told 5NEWS. &nbsp;The note he left said," Nancy, Bigo was here, you B****." Bigo is Barnett's nickname.According to the , Barnett stood outside the Capitol Wednesday, his shirt ripped open and his chest bared to the cold, loudly bragging about how he had broken into the speaker’s office.It's unclear why he was not arrested Wednesday for being part of the siege on Capitol Hill. When asked about likely facing federal charges, Barnett said, "Am I scared? Hell no. But yeah, there's a possibility. I didn't do anything. I didn't breach the doors. I got shoved in. I didn't mean to be there. Hell. I was walking around looking for a bathroom."5NEWS reached out to the FBI about Richard Barnett. The FBI could not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation into Barnett. But, the FBI did say they are aware of the photos of him inside the U.S. Capitol. Members of the Northwest Arkansas community are asked to look at the photos of Barnett and try to identify anyone else that may have been with him and contact the FBI.&nbsp;Again, Barnett admitted he was inside the Speaker’s office.A woman was killed after being shot by police inside the U.S. Capitol building during the chaos caused by the rioters.&nbsp;Barnett was not near the shooting but believes the woman died a hero.&nbsp;"She died a hero, a patriot and I feel for her family," he said. "That shouldn't have happened."Arkansas representatives in D.C. have come together to unanimously against the violent actions taken by President Trump supporters on Wednesday.&nbsp;Congressman Steve Womack (R-AR), the 3rd district representative where Barnett lives, to learn that Barnett was one of his constituents in Arkansas.&nbsp;I'm sickened to learn that the below actions were perpetrated by a constituent. It's an embarrassment to the people of the Third District and does not reflect our values. He must be held accountable and face the fullest extent of the law. This isn't the American or Arkansas way. — Rep. Steve Womack (@rep_stevewomack)According to a , Barnett is associated with several social media accounts. According to the Washington Post, on one of those accounts Last Saturday, Barnett criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi for using the description “white nationalist” as a “derogatory term.”Voting history for Barnett shows he is not registered to a political party in Arkansas.&nbsp;He is known to be active in groups around Northwest Arkansas that support the Second Amendment.&nbsp;In July 2020, 5NEWS at a rally against face masks in Bentonville."I think the government is here to protect our Constitution not to protect our health. It is our right and our responsibility to take care of our own health. The government needs to do their job," said Richard Barnett back in July.RELATED:5NEWS is working to learn more about Barnett and his participation in the Capitol riot. Please check back for updates to this developing story.&nbsp;Editor's NoteWe hear you. KFSM readers have sent us feedback about this story providing exposure to a local man who rioted at the U.S. Capitol. &nbsp;Our intent was to inform the KFSM audience that the man in the photo sitting in the Speaker of the House’s office – which has been shared around the world – is from our community. &nbsp;We failed to delve into his background and challenge his claims.&nbsp; Thank you for holding us accountable, and we have updated this story with additional context and reporting.&nbsp;Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings.No ThanksAllow

Breaking NewsA Northwest Arkansas man seen in a viral photo in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's following a riot at Capitol Hill could face federal charges.Credit: AFP via Getty ImagesTOPSHOT - A supporter of US President Donald Trump sits inside the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as he protest inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021. - Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)5:59 PM CST January 6,...

Rioter seen posing for pictures in Nancy Pelosi's office is from Northwest Arkansas

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