WOODLAND PARK, Colo. — A Woodland Park man is facing federal charges in connection with the failed Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead.
An affidavit says images and videos show 24-year-old Robert Gieswein assaulting a federal officer, encouraging others to break the Capitol's windows and then entering through a broken window and charging through the building.
According to the affidavit, Gieswein assaulted and intimidated U.S. Capitol Police officers with a spray canister, a temporary barrier and a baseball bat, joined and encouraged a crowd of people who forcibly entered the Capitol, impeded, disrupted and disturbed the orderly conduct of business by the U.S. House and Senate, and obstructed, impeded and interfered with a law enforcement officer carrying out their duties at the Capitol.
Gieswein turned himself in to the Teller County Jail on Jan. 18 and will be handed over to federal authorities, the Teller County Sheriff's Office said. He faces the following charges:
- Assault on a federal officer
- Destruction of government property
- Obstruction of an official proceeding
- Restricted building or grounds
- Violent entry or disorderly conduct
- Aiding and abetting
According to the affidavit, Gieswein appears to be affiliated with the radical militia group known as the Three Percenters, which advocates for the resistance to the federal government policies it considers to infringe on personal, local and gun ownership rights.
Gieswein has posted multiple pictures on his Facebook page in which he flashes hand signs used by the group while posing in front of the group's flag and wearing the group's logo, the affidavit says.
The affidavit says Gieswein is believed to run a private paramilitary training group he calls the Woodland Wild Dogs. A patch for the group was seen on Gieswein when he participated in the insurrection, according to the affidavit.
He was identified in images and videos from the insurrection that show him outside and inside the Capitol, according to the affidavit.
A mob of Donald Trump supporters was attempting to stop Congress' certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election in an effort to keep Trump in power.
They had come from a rally near the White House, where Trump repeated his baseless claims of election fraud and urged them to "fight like hell" and march to the Capitol.
The House of Representatives has voted to impeach Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection.
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