Who is Joseph Fischer? Pennsylvania cop who posted video of himself charging at police during Capitol riots held
LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA: A North Cornwall Township patrolman was charged and arrested for participating in the failed insurrection attempt at the US Capitol on January 6, as the United States Congress convened to ratify the results of the 2020 presidential elections. Pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the ratification of the results which saw Joe Biden being elected the 46th President of the country.
Joseph Fischer, 55, was charged with obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry, and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds. He was arrested on Friday, February 19, and is being detained in Dauphin County Prison.
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According to a criminal complaint, Fischer under the Facebook name SV Spindrift, bragged about breaking into the United States Capitol Building and posted a video showing Fischer in the front of a pack of people pushing against the police. The video was later removed from Facebook. The criminal complaint also indicated that Fischer's cellphone pinged the Verizon towers servicing the Capitol during the riots.
On January 7, Fischer posted a video that was over two minutes long on Facebook, which showed "the recorder of the video" walking amongst crowds of people towards a building and eventually entering the building. The video was accompanied with the text, "Made it inside ... received pepper balls and pepper sprayed. Police line was 4 deep.. I made it to level two...”
Later in the video, the recorder of the video is heard yelling "Charge!" Towards the end of the video, the recrder started charging towards a line of police officers while appearing to shout, "Hold the line," and "Motherf***ers."
Fischer also commented on other posts, writing in one comment, "“there was some minor destruction and a few things were stolen ... but 98% peaceful.. I was there..we pushed police back about 25 feet. Got pepper balled and OC sprayed , but entry into the Capital was needed to send a message that we the people hold the real power.” In another comment, he wrote, "it was mostly peaceful... a few became destructive. Not near as bad as media was making it out...hell I was inside the capital talking to police.”
During a conversation with another Facebook user on private messages, Fischer said, "Well I may need a job," after "Word got out that I was at the rally..lol." He also said that the FBI may arrest him, and when the other user asked if Fischer heard something from his office, he responded that his chief did. Fischer then told the other user, ": I told him if that is the price I have to pay to voice my freedom and liberties which I was born with and thusly taken away then then must be the price..." He sent, "I told him I have no regrets and give zero shits." He also wrote, "Sometimes doing the right thing no matter how small is more important than ones own security."
The criminal complaint also stated that Fischer posted photos of himself to Facebook tht appeared to have been taken at the riots. The investigation also revealed that Fischer was captured on video footage from a law enforcement database of pictures and videos from the riots.
Fischer has a preliminary/detention hearing scheduled in the US District Court in Harrisburg at 1:30 PM local time on February 23. He has also been suspended without pay from the police department, according to a news release from the township.