Leeds Man Arrested In Connection To Capitol Breach

WASHINGTON, DC — An Alabama man was arrested Thursday in connection to the raid on the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6. Joshua Matthew Black of Leeds has been charged with entering a restricted building or grounds, violent entry and disorderly conduct.

FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Weeks issued an affidavit Thursday outlining the charges against Black, saying Black "traveled to Washington, D.C., and knowingly and willfully joined and encouraged a crowd of individuals who forcibly entered the U.S. Capitol and impeded, disrupted, and disturbed the orderly conduct of business by the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate."

Like many of the defendants arrested in connection to the riot in Washington, Black was identified through posts on social media, according to the affidavit.

“Photographs and videos of several of these persons were disseminated via social media and other open source online platforms," Weeks said in the affidavit. "Those persons include the person depicted below wearing the red hat, camouflage jacket, and yellow gloves, who appears to be bleeding from his left cheek. Law-enforcement officials have probable cause to believe that person is Black, who resides in Leeds, Alabama.”

The photo provided by Weeks:

Weeks said that on Jan.8, someone using the username “LetUs Talk” posted two videos on YouTube, one of which describes the person's involvement in storming the Capitol and being struck in the face with a projectile during the raid.

Weeks said authorities have identified that person as Black. Weeks gives an acccount of the videos in the affidavit:

"In the YouTube videos, the Individual discusses entering the Capitol and the floor of the Senate chamber on January 6, 2021. The Individual explained, 'Once we found out Pence turned on us and that they had stolen the election, like officially, the crowd went crazy. I mean, it became a mob. We crossed the gate.' The Individual later said, 'We just wanted to get inside the building. I wanted to get inside the building so I could plead the blood of Jesus over it. That was my goal.' The Individual also admitted to possessing a dangerous weapon: 'I actually had a knife on me, but they never...I had too much clothes on, it was freezing out there, you know, so. I never, I wasn't planning on pulling it. I just carry a knife because I do. I work outside, and you need knives, you know. I just, you're not allowed to carry guns in DC and I don't like being defenseless.'"

Weeks said Black was identified by an acquaintance when the FBI posted photos of several of the people who unlawfully entered the Capitol. Weeks said Black met with agents in Moody and admitted to being the person who made the YouTube videos, and the agent interviewing Black noticed an injury to Black's cheek consistent with the injury on the cheek of a man in the photos.

Court records show Black is charged with entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct while in possession of a dangerous weapon, and (2) did willfully and knowingly engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress, or the orderly conduct in that building of any deliberations of either House of Congress.

Lonnie Coffman of Falkville, and William Watson of Auburn also face charges in the Capitol breach.