Accused Capitol rioter wanted to drag Pelosi from building, prosecutor says

FILE PHOTO: A riot police officer stands guard during a rally in support of defendants being prosecuted in the January 6 attack on the Capitol
FILE PHOTO: A riot police officer stands guard during a rally in support of defendants being prosecuted in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, in Washington, U.S., September 18, 2021. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

By Jan Wolfe

The Texas man who is the first person to stand trial for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol told a friend he wanted to drag Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Guy Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, is the first of some 750 people charged with joining the riot by Donald Trump’s supporters to face trial in Washington. Reffitt has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including carrying a semi-automatic handgun while on Capitol grounds.