FBI, DC police ask for tips to identify Capitol rioters

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FBI is calling on the public to send in tips and footage to help identify people who were involved in the riot Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol

“The FBI is seeking information that will assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, D.C.,” the bureau said in a news release Thursday. “If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant.”

The FBI asks that images, videos and other multimedia files be submitted at fbi.gov/USCapitol. You may also call ‪1-800-CALL-FBI (1-‪800-225-5324) to report information related to the investigation. If you do not have an attachment but have information to provide, you’re asked to submit it at tips.fbi.gov.

The amount of evidence is already abundant, and the FBI’s job now is to shift through it all to identify

“The FBI is apolitical. It has been an apolitical organization for years. Certainly, over the last year, there have been some incidents and some debate about that. But by and large, the agents, the street agents that are conducting these investigations, are doing them based on the elements of criminal activity, the elements of a crime,” said Toni Chrabot, a retired assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office who’s now the CEO of Risk Confidence Group.

Chrabot said the investigation into Wednesday’s chaos will very likely be wide-ranging given that protesters were known to have traveled from all over the country.

“When we look at the fact that there were probably 100,000 people, maybe more, there’s people from all over the country that may have attended this rally, and with that in mind, this is going to impact every FBI jurisdiction in the United States,” Chrabot said.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., has posted photos of some of the rioters who forced their way into the Capitol on Wednesday, labeling them as “persons of interest responsible for unlawful entry offenses.”

Anyone with information about those photos is asked to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

In D.C., unlawful entry is a misdemeanor, which, in this context, could lead to a $1,000 fine, a prison sentence between 90 days and six months, or both.