WASHINGTON, D.C. (KETK) – On the one-year anniversary of the riots at the U.S. Capitol, as Congress gathered to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, three East Texans still have open criminal cases in federal court for their alleged roles.

Alex Harkrider and Ryan Nichols

Alex Harkrider, a 34-year-old Carthage man, and 30-year-old Ryan Nichols, a Longview resident, are charged with several felonies ranging from civil disorder to assaulting federal officers. The charges include:

  • Civil Disorder (both)
  • Obstruction of an Official Proceeding (both)
  • Assaulting…Officers Using A Dangerous Weapon (Nichols)
  • Theft of Government Property (Harkrider)
  • Entering a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly Weapon (both)
  • Disorderly Conduct in a Restricted Building with a Deadly Weapon (both)
  • Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Weapon on Capitol Grounds (both)
  • Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building (both)
  • Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol (Nichols)
  • Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in the Capitol (both)
Photos: Department of Justice

In August, Harkrider rejected a plea deal that was offered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. At the hearing, neither side mentioned any details that the deal may have included.

Harkrider has been out on bond since April and has been keeping to his pre-trial restrictions. He has been granted exceptions on multiple occasions to continue volunteer work in areas hit by natural disasters, most recently in Kentucky after their tornado outbreak in December.

However, Nichols was denied pre-trial release due to the extensive planning he put into the riot as well as strong video evidence of him spraying police officers with some kind of chemical and directing other people at the Capitol to violence.

According to the Department of Justice, he screamed at other rioters on video “This is not a peaceful protest! Get in the building! This is your country! If you have a weapon, you need to get your weapon!”

They are both scheduled for a pre-trial status hearing over Zoom on Jan. 21. The judge handling the case was appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

A 20-page Department of Justice arrest warrant lists out in great detail how the two planned on storming the Capitol for weeks and how they posted several times to social media bragging about the riot.

In one photo, the two men are standing in front of a shattered window at the Capitol, saying “We ain’t done yet! We just got started!”

The warrant alleges that Nichols and Harkrider were identified in a separate video forcing their way into the Capitol building. The video shows Nichols allegedly grabbed a large, red aerosol can and sprayed it toward Capitol Police officers.

In another Facebook post, Nichols tagged Harkrider saying they were “feeling pissed off” at the United States Capitol. He wrote: “We’re in. 2 people killed already. We need all the patriots of this country to rally the f*** up and fight for our freedom or it’s gone forever.”

Daniel Adams

Daniel Adams with blood trickling down his face after an alertcation with Capitol Police. On the right is a picture of Adams (left) and Cody Connell (right) on Jan. 6. (Photos via The Justice Department.)

A third East Texan charged in the riots is 44-year-old Daniel Page Adams. He is resident of Goodrich, a small town of roughly 330 people in Polk County.

Adams was arrested along with his cousin Cody Connell, a Lousiana native, after traveling to the Capitol together. They have been indicted on eight felonies, including assaulting officers.

A cell phone video allegedly shows him leading a crowd to charge Capitol Police officers that had protective shields, yelling “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” The officers ran up the stairs and repositioned themselves.

Adams appears to lead the group to chase after them and then begins to fight with the officers along with the crowd. He was injured, but breached the building with blood pouring down his face. He then screams, “This is the Capitol building. This is my house! This is my house!”

The day after the riot, Connell wrote on social media that “It’s gonna come” to civil war to someone who responded to their videos and photos.

Connell also is accused of talking about purchasing long-rifle firearms, ammunition, and body armor to go back to Washington later. He also allegedly “bragged that the only way he would return to Louisiana was in a body bag,” according to multiple federal court documents. Despite this, he was released on bond back in February.

Adams was granted bond until his trial last April. Both he and Connell pleaded not guilty to their charges during a hearing in December.

The judge involved was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1994.