Montana man who brought juvenile son to 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.

The 54-year-old man and his son drove for three days from Montana to Washington prior to the riot, according to prosecutors. Video footage from surveillance cameras showed the pair inside the Capitol for 28 minutes, where they walked through hallways and waved a flag, according to authorities.

O’Brien was charged in U.S. District Court in Washington with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, the Department of Justice said.

The criminal complaint was not immediately posted to the federal court website and it was unclear who represented O’Brien in court. A message left with the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia was not immediately 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.