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A Capitol riot suspect yelled 'f--- all of you!' at his Zoom court hearing then hung up on the judge, reports say

May 8, 2021, 00:41 IST
Business Insider
Landon Copeland posing in front of the Washington Monument.FBI
  • A Capitol riot suspect caused chaos at his own Zoom court hearing, according to reports.
  • Landon Copeland yelled expletives at the judge during the call, The Daily Beast and NBC reported.
  • His charges include violent entry into the Capitol and assaulting or resisting officers.
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A Capitol riot suspect unleashed an expletive-filled tirade and hung up on the judge in a chaotic Zoom hearing, according to reports.

Landon Copeland was charged with violent entry to the Capitol and assaulting and obstructing law enforcement, among other charges relating to the January 6 insurrection.

A criminal complaint said Copeland pushed against a police line with a stolen riot shield and attempted to destroy a barricade while approaching the building.

At his Thursday court hearing, Copeland yelled: "You people f---ed this up. You're going to give me a psych eval. I don't like 70% of my income going to the government. F--- all of you!" according to The Daily Beast's Pilar Menendez.

As NBC's Scott MacFarlane reported it, Copeland also yelled: "How long can I postpone this? I'm a vet. You owe this to me. You've all f---ed this up. You're a robot to me. You can't come get me if I don't want you to!"

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There was then an hourlong break, after which Copeland's lawyer said he was "in a crisis" - which upset Copeland so much he eventually hung up on the hearing, The Daily Beast reported.

A number of Copeland's friends, whom The Daily Beast described as Trump supporters, and his mother also joined the Zoom call. The judge ended up kicking out one of his friends after they used an expletive in their Zoom username, The Daily Beast reported.

Prosecutors have previously acknowledged that Copeland - who says he is a combat veteran who was shot in Iraq - may have post-traumatic stress disorder, The Daily Beast reported.

Read more: Trump aides are casting doubt on McCarthy's prospects for House speaker if the GOP wins back the majority in 2022

"In my conversations with him, I don't think he's being intentionally belligerent. I don't think he's competent to proceed right now," his lawyer said, according to The Daily Beast.

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His hearing eventually had to be postponed so that the court could assess if he was fit to go ahead, The Daily Beast reported.

He reportedly disrupted another session

Copeland also disrupted another session related to Capitol riot suspects earlier on Thursday, according to reports. It is not clear how he gained access to that session.

He told the courtroom clerk during that call, according to The Daily Beast: "You are evil!"

He then had to be muted for numerous interruptions- including in one case where the defense lawyer said his client had been influenced by watching too much Fox News, The Daily Beast reported.

The charges against Landon Copeland

Copeland was arrested on April 29, according to the Justice Department.

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The criminal complaint said he admitted to fighting with police officers on January 6. He told investigators that he had believed the police were trying to "penetrate the line" and "steal" people in the crowd, according to the complaint.

Copeland identified himself as this man in a blue shirt and black hat in the following images, which were included in the criminal complaint against him:

A screenshot from footage of police attempting to halt a rioter outside the Capitol, who the FBI believes is Landon Copeland.FBI
A screenshot from footage, shot from above, of police attempting to halt rioters outside the Capitol. The man who FBI believes is Landon Copeland is circled.FBI
A screenshot from footage, shot from above, of police attempting to halt rioters outside the Capitol. The man who FBI believes is Landon Copeland is circled.FBI
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