(Photo: michael fournier is seen entering the u.s. capitol on jan. 6, 2021 SOURCE: Courtesy FBI)
Maine man charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot was seen taking paintingWASHINGTON — More than three years have passed since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but the FBI continues to investigate and make arrests in connection with what happened.
On Monday, Michael Gerard Fournier of Portland was arrested in Portland and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restrict building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds and; parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
He is the ninth person from Maine charged in connection with the riot.
On Jan. 11, 2021, just five days after the riot, someone who knew Fournier reached out to the FBI and identified him as having taken part in the riot, according to court documents filed Monday.
In November of 2021, court documents say the FBI met with Fournier's brother, who confirmed that Fournier was in Washington, DC on the day of the riot. In August of 2022, the brother told the FBI that Fournier was inside the Capitol during the riot.
On Dec. 3, 2021, Fournier's then-attorney, Michael Zerillo, provided a letter to the FBI in which he admitted to being inside the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. In that letter, Fournier claimed that he “observed no signage restricting his entry” into the U.S. Capitol and “there was no attempt to stop the protestors on that side of the building from entering.”
The FBI says Fournier is first seen on video at 2:38 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, approaching the Capitol from the east. He was seen taking a picture on the sidewalk and then continuing to the front of the Capitol where a crowd had gathered.
Campaign memo suggests Haley moving on regardless of primary outcome in New Hampshire A short time later, court documents say Fournier was seen climbing the Capitol steps to the Rotunda doors chanting "It's our house" with his fist raised in the air.
At 3:02 p.m., the FBI says Fournier was seen entering the Capitol through the Rotunda doors, by which time windows in the doors had already been smashed and alarms were sounding.
One minute later, Fournier entered the Rotunda and spent several minutes there, appearing to take pictures and/or video.
At 3:06 p.m., video shows Fournier coming face to face with a line of law enforcement officers wearing riot helmets as officers tried to clear the Rotunda.
He was then seen trying to leave the building but was stopped as Capitol Police officers temporarily closed the doors.
At 3:09 p.m., Fournier was seen talking with another person inside the Capitol who had picked up a painting. Fournier took the painting from the other person and was seen walking away with it. Two minutes later, he returned to the Rotunda area, no longer holding the painting.
(IMAGE: michael fournier on the upper west terrace of the capitol on jan 6, 2021 Courtesy FBI)
He then left the building through the Rotunda doors, but court documents say he was seen putting both hands on a Capitol Police officer and appeared to exchange words with the officer.
He then went to the west side of the Capitol and spent at least an hour on the Upper West Terrace, according to court documents.
About 4:38 p.m., court documents say Fournier was seen at the stairs next to the inauguration stands on the southwest side of the U.S. Capitol where another police line had formed.
Court documents say Fournier left the area a short time later, after spending more than two hours on Capitol grounds and inside the building.
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