A California man named Glenn Brooks has been arrested for allegedly participating in the riots at the U.S Capitol on Jan. 6. A member of his church prayer text group tipped off the FBI after Brooks sent the group photos that included a selfie from within the Capitol building.
“On or about January 30, 2021, the FBI received an electronic tip from Witness #1, who stated that a member of his/her church prayer text group, Glenn BROOKS, boasted of his active participation in the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.,” says a criminal complaint filed July 27. “Witness #1 also stated that BROOKS sent photos of his attendance at the Capitol to the church text group that included other people at the riots/protest and a selfie photo of himself inside the Capitol.”
Glenn Brooks Charged for Actions on Jan. 6
Federal agents with assault weapons and fully body armor arrested Huntington Beach resident Glenn Brooks, 61, on the morning of Thursday, July 29. The criminal complaint against Brooks begins by summarizing the events of Jan. 6 when rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol as a joint session of Congress was certifying the electoral college votes for the 2020 presidential election. In the months that have followed, officials have been tracking down and arresting people allegedly involved in the violence.
After tipping off authorities at the end of January, the person who was part of Brooks’ prayer group supplied Brooks’ address, phone number, email address, and a photograph of Brooks to the FBI during a Feb. 9 interview. Authorities then surveilled Brooks and used photographs and video footage from Jan. 6 to confirm his identity. Brooks has been charged with unlawful entry and disorderly conduct on restricted grounds.
Glenn Brooks is not the only person with ties to the Christian faith to have been arrested for participating in the Jan. 6 violence. Three men connected to Global Outreach Ministries in Melbourne, Fla., were arrested on June 24 and were charged in federal court with entering restricted grounds, disorderly conduct, and violent entry of the Capitol building.
Many have noted the Christian imagery and practices used by the people who stormed the Capitol. During testimony last week before a congressional committee investigating the riot, District of Columbia police officer Daniel Hodges said, “It was clear the terrorists perceived themselves to be Christians. I saw the Christian flag directly to my front. Another read, ‘Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president.’ Another: ‘Jesus is king.’… Another had crossed rifles beneath a skull, emblazoned with the pattern of the American flag.”
Such imagery has galvanized cultural conversations that were already taking place around the topic of “Christian nationalism,” an ideology in which being an American is intertwined with one’s Christian identity.
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Hodges also expressed shock that this demographic of people, which is typically very pro-police, were assaulting officers. He said, “To my perpetual confusion, I saw the ‘thin blue line’ flag — a symbol of support for law enforcement — more than once, being carried by the terrorists. They ignored our commands and continued to assault us.”
