Authorities say a New York man has been arrested for his alleged role in the deadly invasion of the Capitol – after posting an image of the crowd on Instagram with the words “ This is me ” and a pointing emoji on it.
According to the FBI and the Mid-Hudson News Network, Edward Jacob Lang was arrested Saturday at his home in Newburgh.
According to federal authorities, he is charged with assault, resistance or obstruction of certain officials or employees, civil disorder, access to a restricted building or site, and violent access or disorderly conduct.
Long was reportedly one of the throngs of President Trump’s supporters who besieged the Capitol on January 6 in an attempt to delay Congressional certification of Joe Biden’s election victory, an invasion that ended with five dead, including a Capitol police officer.
Rather than trying to cover his tracks, Lang documented his alleged participation and the aftermath on both his Instagram and Facebook pages, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI on Friday in support of an arrest warrant.
An image posted to Along Instagram Story shows a group of rioters at an entrance to the Capitol, with the words “THIS IS ME” written in capital letters and an emoji of a hand with a pointing index finger, according to the filing.
Another post on Lang’s Facebook page – which, like his Instagram account, was inactive as of Sunday – includes a lengthy post claiming he witnessed the death of a woman and was shot himself during the riot, according to the authorities.
‘I saw a woman die before my eyes yesterday. I saved two others from being trampled and suffocated by the Capitol Police, ”he wrote. “I was shot with a deadly bullet in the foot [sic] shattered multiple places, stabs in my skull, deep cuts all over my body – for freedom and liberty and to defend the US Constitution. “
According to authorities, Lang’s own social media posts weren’t the only ones to get him to the riot.
Video footage of “a person who resembles Lang in appearance” shows the man who attacked police outside the Capitol with a baseball bat, officials say.
And a video posted to an unspecified Twitter account shows a man identified by authorities as Lang discussing the next steps with an unidentified woman.
“So what do you think happens next?” the woman asks, according to court documents.
‘Guns. That’s all, ”replies the man identified as Lang. “The first amendment didn’t work, we’re getting the second out.”
It was not immediately clear whether Lang had engaged a lawyer pending an initial appearance in court.
Several New Yorkers have been arrested out of dozens in connection with the riot, including an MTA employee who called in sick from work to travel to Washington DC and a reported former US Marine lighting a “victory cigar” in the Capitol.
Many of those arrested have been invaded by a mountain of incriminating images obtained by the FBI.