- A man un-sent messages to his friends where he bragged about being at the
Capitol riot , the DOJ said. - Brian Jackson was arrested on Tuesday for assaulting police during the riot, the DOJ said.
US law enforcement arrested a man who un-sent messages boasting about storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the Justice Department said in a Tuesday statement.
Brian Jackson, 47, and his brother, Adam Jackson, 42, were arrested on Tuesday on charges of assaulting police, the DOJ said. They are both residents of Katy, Texas, the DOJ said.
Brian Jackson "hurled a flagpole at officers" on the Capitol complex, the DOJ said, while Adam Jackson "charged at the line of officers with what appeared to be a US Capitol Police riot shield."
According to filings made by the FBI officer assigned to the case, Brian Jackson "also attempted to delete evidence."
Jackson un-sent several messages he had sent to friends bragging about his participation in the riot, the DOJ said, and he also sent numerous messages asking others to delete videos and messages he had sent them. It is not clear when he un-sent the messages.
In a January 9, 2021, message, Brian Jackson told a friend "delete those videos" to which the person replied, "will do," DOJ filings showed.
It is unclear which platform Jackson un-sent the messages on or how the DOJ was able to establish what the specific messages said. An "unsend" or delete function exists on platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Facebook Messenger with no time limit.
The FBI officer added that Brian Jackson also deleted one of his Facebook accounts after the riot.
As of Monday, at least 861 people have been arrested and charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot, according to Insider's tracker.
In the aftermath of the January 6 riot, a group of US lawmakers formed a House select committee to establish responsibility. After 11 months of investigations and interviews, its first public hearing is set to start on Thursday.
A number of US lawmakers believe former President Donald Trump is responsible for inciting the violence. A large number of those at the riot were attending a Trump rally near the Capitol before marching on the complex.