Glendale man charged for his role in the US Capitol breach on Jan. 6
"I was, like, the first person in, Momma," a suspected insurrectionist from Glendale was heard saying on camera at the U.S. Capitol On Jan. 6, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges Wednesday against Jason Robert Tasker, 43, for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach on the Capitol. The tip leading to Tasker's arrest stemmed from his mother showing friends videos of Tasker inside the Capitol.
Tasker was arrested Tuesday after an investigation revealed the suspect shared videos of his role in the riot.
A Glendale detective submitted a formal complaint to the Justice Department that described Tasker's role in the riot in Washington, D.C., including acts which were recorded on cameras and confirmed through an investigation, according to a Justice Department news release.
The complaint detailed that Tasker attended the "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, assaulting officers and assisting other rioters who broke into the Capitol building.
"All of you are dismissed; go home!" Tasker yelled in video outside of the Capitol, according to the news release.
Tasker reportedly climbed the northwest stairs of the building, joined other rioters surrounded by U.S. Capitol police, lunging at officers multiple times before he was pepper sprayed. He eventually descended into the Capitol building with a mob of people.
Tasker reportedly was inside the Capitol for less than an hour between 2:43 p.m. until 3:13 p.m.
He was seen taking pictures and videos on his cell phone, leaving the Capitol and overhead in a third-party video saying, "I was, like, the first person in, Momma."
In spring of 2024, the FBI conducted interviews with Tasker's friends who confirmed he was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the news release.
The FBI learned that Tasker's mother had paid for his airline ticket the month before the incident, reportedly a gift from the mother to her son. Tasker told his friends that he was going on the trip to "do tourist stuff" in Washington, D.C., according to the complaint.
Tasker's friends told authorities that he and his mother had shared photos and videos of Tasker inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to the complaint.
The complaint contained 27 images of Tasker throughout various stages of the Capitol breach, from assisting other rioters ascend the Capitol walls, to him trying to subdue the effects of pepper spray with milk outside the Capitol.
Tasker faced felony charges of assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, along with misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct on a restrictive ground.
Tasker would next appear in a federal court in Arizona, with an ongoing investigation conducted by FBI's Phoenix and Washing field offices.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Glendale man accused of assaulting law enforcement at Jan. 6 Capitol breach
