A senior law enforcement official said that the ex-FBI official who allegedly urged rioters to "kill" officers during the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol was previously the supervisory special agent in charge of Homegrown Violent Extremism for the FBI New York Field Office's Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This week, Jared Wise was detained in Oregon on four counts of a misdemeanor. An FBI affidavit alleges that after Wise entered the Capitol and exited through a shattered window, he shouted at officers outside the Capitol.
Ex-FBI Agent Arrested on Jan. 6 Riot Charges
According to the FBI, as officers were being pushed down in front of Wise, he turned toward the disturbance and began shouting again. A senior law enforcement official said Wise served in the role of domestic violent extremism coordinator between 2014 and 2017, NBC News.
Several current and former law enforcement officials, as well as military veterans and active military personnel, have been arrested in connection with the 2021 attack on the United States Capitol.
In an email sent to a senior FBI official after the attack and obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, a source familiar with the bureau's operations expressed concern that many bureau employees were "sympathetic" to the mob.
Veteran Jose Padilla was found guilty of ten counts on Wednesday. Padilla repeatedly assaulted officers on January 6, and then boasted about his actions on the pro-Trump website "TheDonald."
Investigators claim Wise entered the Capitol through a Senate wing door and remained inside for approximately 9 minutes, during which time he purportedly raised his hands in "victory" before exiting through a Senate window.
Once outside, Wise allegedly remained around the Capitol and, later that afternoon on January 6, verbally abused police. Per CBS News, Wise shouted, "I'm a former law enforcement officer," according to body camera footage described in the prosecution documents. "You're repulsive. You are Nazism. You are a Gestapo agent."
Prosecutors allege that Wise then witnessed members of the throng violently assault law enforcement and urged them on by exclaiming, "Let's go!" "Kill 'em! Kill 'em! Destroy 'em!"
In November, investigators traveled to New Braunfels, Texas, in search of Wise, and ultimately interviewed the building manager where he formerly resided. The building manager identified Wise and informed investigators that Wise had left a forwarding address in Oregon, according to court documents.
Jared Wise to Appear in Court Next Week
The FBI asserts that security camera footage captured Wise inside the Capitol on January 6, when a throng of Trump supporters disrupted a joint session of Congress meant to certify President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.
In January 2022, the FBI received an indication that Wise had entered the Capitol. Monday, following his initial court appearance in Eugene, Oregon, a federal magistrate judge ordered Wise's release from detention.
The affidavit states that Wise resided in New Braunfels, Texas until June 2022 before moving to Bend, Oregon. A counsel for Wise in Oregon did not respond promptly to email requests for comment.
More than one hundred officers were injured during the Jan.6 riot. Over 1,000 individuals have been charged with federal offenses related to the Capitol siege, Fox News reported. Wise is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Washington, D.C., next week.
