A woman allegedly brought an array of weapons such as a sword and a taser into the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI).
Kennedy Lindsey of California was arrested in Los Angeles last month for her alleged actions during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot in Washington, D.C. Her charges include disorderly conduct and possession of a dangerous weapon in a Capitol building. She was released from custody after her arrest.
Lindsey had a short sword, a steel tactical whip, a collapsible baton, pepper spray, a butterfly knife and a flashlight taser in her possession when a U.S. Secret Service officer searched her, according to an FBI affidavit obtained by the Associated Press (AP).
During the 2021 riot, a mob of supports of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in a failed attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden‘s 2020 election win. Some rioters were armed with weapons, including firearms, knives and stun guns, according to AP, while many others had makeshift weapons like flagpoles and broken pieces of furniture from the Capitol building.
The riot erupted following claims from Trump that the 2020 election was stolen via widespread voter fraud, despite there being no evidence to back up such claims. The former president has not claimed any responsibility for the riot and continues to claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Lindsey and another woman charged for her actions surrounding the riot flew from California to Washington after Trump said on social media that there would be a “wild” protest on January 6, according to the FBI. Lindsey posted on social media days before the riot that she was going to D.C. because “boss man called for us to be there,” the agency’s affidavit said.
After attending Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House—where Trump told his supporters, “We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore”—Lindsey and her companion went to the Capitol.
Trump was indicted in August 2023 on conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. He has pleaded not guilty to the four felony counts and claimed that the federal case against him is politically motivated.
Meanwhile, over 1,488 people have been charged so far for crimes related to the Capitol riot, including almost 550 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, which is a felony. The U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into the events surrounding the riot remains ongoing.
The AP reached out to Lindsey and an attorney who represented her at her initial court hearing but did not immediately hear back from them.
