Harford County Man Robert Reeder Identified Among Capitol Rioters Using Facial Recognition Software, Officials Say
BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) -- Another Maryland man was identified among the group of rioters that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Robert Reeder, from Harford County, was identified using facial recognition software, according to the Harford County State's Attorney's office who tipped off the FBI about his identity on Jan. 7 shortly after they saw a poster with pictures of some of the rioters.
Crisis at the Capitol: Complete Coverage
Documents said Reeder contacted federal investigators through his lawyers on Jan. 19 with a compilation of videos taken by him on his cell phone showing himself storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Reeder who was wearing a Make America Great Again hat said several minutes into the video, "We've been getting tear-gassed -- thousands of people."
Then once he's inside the Capitol, he's heard asking an officer for water.
"Is there anywhere where I can get water?" An officer responds: "We don't have any water in here, sir. There's some outside."
At one point Reeder asks how he can get out of the building, but then he doesn't leave, instead of chanting with the crowd, "USA!"
Then about 17 minutes into the same video, Reeder records an assault on a Capitol Police officer. He tells that officer, "You need to retreat!"
About 19 minutes into the video, sometime around 4 p.m., Reeder can be seen outside the U.S. Capitol. He tells the camera, he's leaving now after spending about 30 minutes inside.
"I'm leaving now, I got tear-gassed at least four times inside the Capitol," Reeder said. "I saw the lady they say got shot, I walked right past her in a pool of blood. And it's just completely crazy in there."
Reeder told the camera he was one of the last people out.
"Got shot with pepper balls. It was f****** nuts!" he said. "We had to do battle with the police inside. It was crazy, absolutely insane."
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