On July 31, officials from the Justice Department reported the arrest of an Arizona man in relation to the fatal storming of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Jason Robert Tasker, a 43-year-old resident of Glendale, was taken into custody in Arizona on July 30th according to an official statement.
A criminal complaint was filed in the District of Columbia against Tasker with serious felony offenses. The charges include assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. Furthermore, Tasker is facing four misdemeanor offenses, which include entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. A part of the statement released by authorities included the above-mentioned charges against Tasker.
Tasker accused of lunging at officers
The image above shows Jason Robert Tasker, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Capitol Riot’s alleged actions by Tasker were thoroughly reviewed by justice officials, providing intricate details.
According to the statement, Tasker participated in a “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C. and then proceeded towards the west side of the Capitol building. Investigators claim that he subsequently trailed officers around the Capitol and shouted at them.
According to investigators, Tasker allegedly attacked some of the officers present at the scene before finally leaving the Capitol building around 3:13 p.m. local time.
According to a statement, Tasker reportedly stayed on the Capitol stairs and had a phone conversation after leaving the building. A third-party video captured Tasker stating, “I was like the first person in, Momma.” He allegedly stayed outside the Rotunda doors for more than an hour and continued to confront the police.
Other people with Arizona ties accused in Jan. 6 incident
Authorities have identified other individuals with connections to Arizona who participated in the Capitol Riot alongside Tasker.
Following the fatal riot, it was reported that Klete Keller, a three-time Olympic swimmer and 2000 graduate of Arcadia High School in Phoenix, was alleged to have committed several offenses related to the violent incident. At the time of the riots, Keller’s involvement was brought to light.
According to reports from the Associated Press, Keller admitted his guilt in September 2021 to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding and struck a plea deal to cooperate with authorities. In December 2023, he received a three-year probation sentence, which mandates six months of home detention. Furthermore, Keller was directed to complete 360 hours of community service at a pace of 10 hours per month while under court supervision.
Back in January 2024, a pair of siblings from Tucson, Felicia Konold and Cory Konold, were given sentences of 45 days and 30 days in prison, respectively, along with two years of supervised release. This was due to their involvement in the riot, and we had previously reported on the matter.
Jacob Chansley, also known as the ‘QAnon Shaman,’ is another individual with ties to Arizona who was arrested in connection with the riot. When he was taken into custody in January 2021 at the age of 33, Chansley was charged with several offenses, including civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, and demonstrating in a Capitol building.
After pleading guilty to a felony charge, Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison in late 2021 and was eventually released to a halfway house in March 2023. Although there were reports in November 2023 that he had filed a candidate statement of interest for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District as a Libertarian, Chansley’s name did not ultimately appear on the primary ballot for the July 30, 2024 primary.
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