A man who allegedly called for participants to “kill police officers” during the January 6, 2021, demonstration at the Capitol was a former FBI special agent in charge of “domestic and violent extremism,” an anonymous source tells NBC.
Since the events around and inside the Capitol more than two years ago, US law enforcement agencies, and especially the Democratic Party, have struggled to keep the story alive and to declare then-President Donald Trump as ultimately responsible. However, as new information about the events has emerged, that picture is becoming increasingly questionable.
Jared Wise, Special Agent in Charge of the Homegrown Violent Extremism Division of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, is now identified by witnesses and several anonymous sources within the U.S. law enforcement community as one of the driving forces behind the escalation of the predominantly peaceful protest.
He was arrested and detained this past week, charged with four misdemeanors. According to an FBI affidavit, Wise allegedly shouted at police officers outside the Capitol:
– You’re disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo. You can’t see it. Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!
According to the same testimony, Wise allegedly later escalated his rhetoric:
– Yeah, f— them! Yeah, kill ’em! Kill ’em! Kill ’em! Kill ’em!
The FBI has so far not responded to a request for comment on Wise’s former position within the agency, but the US Comcast channel NBC says it has been able to confirm the information via anonymous police sources.
– He should be held to a higher standard because he knew better than anybody else what he was doing, one source told NBC.
At the time of writing, neither Jared Wise himself nor his lawyer have commented on either the arrest or the charges.
