HOME / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Jesse James Rumson: FBI detains 'Sedition Panda' for reportedly storming the Capitol amid Jan 6 riots

Footage from January 6 reveals that a man with a panda head immediately moved forward police officers who were attempting to hold the rioters back

LECANTO, FLORIDA: Federal authorities announced on Monday that they had detained Jesse James Rumson, 37, a rioter known as "Sedition Panda" who they claim wore a panda costume during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and attacked law enforcement. Rumson was arrested in Florida and accused of several felonies, including assaulting and impeding law enforcement outside the Capitol. According to court records, Rumson, one of the first 20 individuals to storm the government building during the mayhem of 2021, was detained in Lecanto, Florida, on Friday.

Rumson strolled to the Capitol as part of the massive crowd of Trump supporters, donning the panda costume head at various points, according to charging documents released publicly on Monday. Rumson was then referred to anonymously by certain online groups as "#SeditionPanda." A court affidavit claims, "Rumson can be seen running from the Senate Wings Door, hopping over railings, and climbing the stairs to enter the Capitol through the parliamentary door."  Photos from the riot show the defendant waving a white banner that said, in part, "Don't tread on me," while sporting a panda costume head.

RELATED ARTICLES

Capitol Riots hearing: Date, time, and how to live stream Jan 6 House committee findings

'Disgusting': Trump slammed for showing thumbs up to rally on Capitol riot anniversary

What Federal authorities are saying?

New York Post reported that footage from January 6 reveals that a man with a panda head immediately moved forward police officers who were attempting to hold the rioters back as he entered the US Capitol by an emergency fire escape after it had been ripped open by mob members.

The court affidavit claims, "Certain unknown individuals were given the nickname "SeditionPanda" for the logical characterization of their video appearances," before they recognized Rumson in the tape from that day. The document contains dozens of images of Rumson wearing and without wearing his distinctive headgear, including one in which he is seen leaving the Capitol with his face visible.

According to photographic evidence included in court documents, other rioters assisted in releasing Rumson from his handcuffs before he triumphantly raised wooden rosary beads to the crowd. After being set free, he allegedly raced through the crowd assembled outside the Capitol and towards a row of police officers guarding the building. Rumsen then seized an officer's mask, "which forced the officer's head and neck back and upwards."

According to a CBS News analysis of court documents and hearings, over 980 individuals have been charged with offenses related to the Capitol incident on January 6. The US Attorney's Office in Washington, DC reports that more than 310 people have been charged with assaulting, obstructing, or impeding law enforcement during the riot.

Rumsen has not yet been assigned a lawyer.

The US Capitol riot timeline: January 6, 2021

Two years have passed since the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and during that time, the Justice Department, which has so far prosecuted 950 people, as well as the House Select Committee inquiry, which was completed in December, have provided additional information to the American people about the extent of the violence and destruction that day and about those who were involved.

According to CBS News, the select committee investigated the Capitol attack for 18 months, interviewing several witnesses and collecting documents, texts, and emails. It held several high-profile hearings to explore the assault and the former president's role in encouraging his followers to storm the building, and it finally recommended that the Justice Department bring charges against Trump and attorney John Eastman for their involvement in the attack.

It took several weeks for Americans to fully comprehend the scope and severity of the riot in the days immediately following it on January 6. A joint meeting of Congress was called on that day to confirm the results of the Electoral College vote, which had Joe Biden defeating Donald Trump.

Here are a few highlights from that day, along with other updates that happened over the year.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.