US Capitol riot: Man who posed with feet on ex-speaker Pelosi’s office desk convicted

Richard "Bigo" Barnett, who was a Capitol Hill rioter, has been found guilty of all charges after he posed with his feet on US Democrat Nancy Pelosi's desk during the attack on Congress, reported BBC. He was among the Trump supporters who stormed and vandalised the building in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. Bigo was found guilty of breaking into Pelosi's office.

“Did it dawn on you that what you were doing could cause some trouble?” asked defense attorney Joseph McBride to Barnett. To which Barnett replied, “I was just in the moment, I’m just kind of going with the flow at this point,” reported Associated Press. 

What did US Capitol riot suspect Barnett do?

Barnett, who stormed with other hardline Trump supporters, has been charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly weapon, and theft of government property. He was armed with a stun gun and could have harmed Pelosi, said officials, reported BBC. Before convicting Barnett of all eight charges against him under the US capitol Riot case, the jury in Washington DC had discussed thoroughly for less than three hours. During the session, the federal prosecutor Alison Prout argued, "We can only imagine what would have happened if (Pelosi) had been there at the time," reported AP.

During the January 6 riots, Pelosi, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time, was forced to flee the chamber floor with other lawmakers as protesters stormed the building.

Meanwhile, the guilty Barnett said he did not get a fair trial because the jury was not made up of his "peers" after the verdict came out against him on Monday. The Judge would allow Barnett, who is facing decades in federal prison, to be free until the May 3 sentencing hearing.