Tennessee man wearing ‘Trump 2020’ hat arrested after U.S. Capitol riot, documents show – The Tennessean

Smyrna man Joshua John Portlock was arrested Wednesday in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, records show.

Video footage from the riotappeared to show Portlock pushing and moving barriers outside the Capitol, assaulting officers and joining a mob yelling"heave-ho" as they pushed into a tunnel on the Capitol's lower west terrace, according to a court document with a statement of facts from the FBI.

He faces seven charges:

Portlock is the 19th person with Tennessee ties to be arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot. Court records show heis set to make an initial appearance beforeMagistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather on Nov. 9.

RIOT ARRESTS: 19 with Tennessee connections arrested in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot investigation

Multiple tips came in to the FBI about Portlock.One tipster said they used to work with him in Dallas, Texas,and recognized him from photos posted to the FBI's Capitol violence page, the document said. That person also provided a phone number for Portlock. The FBI then identified Portlock through public records andfootage from the attack, along with speaking to a more recent co-worker of his that recognized him.

The document saidPortlockwas wearinga white cowboy hat with the words Trump 2020 on the front and Stop the Steal in red letters on the back. The hat also had anAmerican flag pattern printed under the rim. Under the cowboy hat, he was wearing a black beanie with an emblem the FBI said is affiliated with the Proud Boys, a sometimes violentfar-right group composed of all men.

Footage from Jan. 6 showsPortlock pushing against and moving barricades manned by officers and later joining other rioters in assaulting officers, the documentstated. At one point he grabbed what appeared to be a piece of plywood and used it to ram into and climb over officers with other rioters.

Footage showed him in a tunnel on the lower west terrace where rioters pinned officers against doors as they tried to force their way into the Capitol, according to the document. Footage from the tunnel attack was widely circulated on social media and across the news.

'THIS IS HOW I'M GOING TO DIE': At Jan. 6 hearing, officers tell of harrowing attacks

"Significantly, on at least two occasions, Portlock participated in 'heave-ho'efforts, by which multiple rioters collectively used their body mass for greater effect in pushing back officers by gaining momentum through leaning back and then pushing forward while chanting 'heave-ho'to coordinate their efforts," the document read.

Footage showedhim passing what appeared to bestolen U.S. Capitol Police riot shields to others to help fortify them during the "heave-ho" push, the document stated. He repeatedly disobeyed commands from officers to leave the tunnel. At one point during the tunnel altercation, Portlock appeared to stand aside with his hands up as another rioter struck an officer with a baton, according to the document.

Later, the document said, he appeared to check on oneofficer who had been beaten by rioters on the lower west terrace. He also grabbed the collar of another officer who had been beaten and pushed him into a handicap elevator, getting him away from other rioters.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.

Original post:

Tennessee man wearing 'Trump 2020' hat arrested after U.S. Capitol riot, documents show - The Tennessean