A Princeton University senior majoring in politics was arrested Tuesday on the felony charge of civil disorder and related misdemeanor offenses in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, according to the Department of Justice.
According to court documents, 21-year-old Larry Fife Giberson was among the rioters “who repeatedly engaged in violence against law enforcement officers guarding the Capitol in the Lower West Terrace ‘tunnel’ entrance” that day.
Mister Truth reports that Giberson is a politics major at the university and a member of the class of 2023.
After entering the tunnel on Jan. 6, Giberson allegedly “joined rioters as they attempted to force their way into the building by coordinating ‘heave-ho’ pushing efforts against the police line.”
“While Giberson was at the front of the pack of rioters pushing against officers in unison with other rioters, one officer was crushed between a door and a shield held by a rioter,” the Justice Department alleged.
As rioters continued to fight with the police, Giberson then allegedly “watched as rioters assaulted and brutally injured” one officer.
“After watching the intensifying violence in and around the tunnel, and after watching rioters drag one officer out of the tunnel and violently assault that officer, Giberson started yelling ‘DRAG THEM OUT! He then cheered as weapons and pepper spray were used against police officers in the tunnel,” the Justice Department alleged.
According to the department, Giberson was expected to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday.
The rioting at the Capitol occurred after thousands of Donald Trump supporters gathered to hear the then-president give a disgruntled speech outside the White House, amid his baseless claims that election fraud resulted in his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.
Some members of the group then marched to the Capitol, overtaking (and in some cases beating) police officers and shattering windows and doors in an effort to get inside. The ensuing melee led to a disruption of a joint session of Congress gathered to confirm Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Though the confirmation was paused as lawmakers were forced to evacuate during the deadly scene, Biden was confirmed later that day.
Five people, including U.S. Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, died as a result of the violent clash between pro-Trump rioters and law enforcement.
According to the Justice Department, more than 1,000 people have since been arrested for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.