An Alabama man charged with conspiring to interrupt Congress on Jan. 6 brought his 82-pound German Shepard, named “Warrior,” into the Capitol with him, according to a federal indictment.
Jonathan Walden is the 16th person added to a sprawling case docket accusing the Oath Keepers, a nationwide militia group, of conspiring to attack Congress and interrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory on Jan. 6.
Walden’s name was initially redacted in the fourth superseding indictment in the case, but was unredacted Thursday after he was arrested, as the Justice Department announced in a press release. On Tuesday, a federal prosecutor told a judge that they were hoping to make plea offers to Oath Keepers charged in the attack over the next several weeks.
According to the latest indictment, Walden sent an email on or before Jan. 5 stating that he was interested in the “QRF” — quick reaction force. Prosecutors have noted that the Oath Keepers allegedly had men and arms stationed during the attack in a Virginia hotel room, ready to respond to orders to join the fight.
“I am former Firefighter, EMT-B and have a K-9 trained for security patrol (82 lb. German Shepherd named ‘Warrior’),” Walden allegedly wrote. “I have a Jump Bag with Trauma supplies and have ALL the necessary 2A gear that the situation may require. PLEASE ADVISE. As soon as I hear from you I can hit the road to join up!”
The indictment noted that a document on codefendant Joshua James’ phone allegedly stated, “Jonathan Walden below is all clear but when I sent return email with burner phone number it was returned so may have to call him.”
On the day of the attack, Walden allegedly rode with a group of Oath Keepers to the Capitol in a pair of golf carts. They parked near the building and continued on foot, according to the indictment, then “aggressively berated and taunted law enforcement officers” guarding the perimeter of the Capitol before forcibly entering the building about 40 minutes later.
“Walden brought his dog inside the Capitol,” the indictment stated.
The man and his dog allegedly left the building after 20 minutes, joining several other people charged in the conspiracy and Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers leader, around 100 feet from the Capitol.
Rhodes has not been charged with a crime, but he’s consistently popped up in court filings as “Person One.”
