Feds: NJ man tried forcing Jan. 6 rioters past Capitol barricade

👮‍♂️ A Sewell man is accused of trying to push past a police barricade in the Capitol riot

📱 The suspect is the latest addition to a growing list of New Jersey residents charged in the Jan. 6 attack

🔎 The FBI is asking for more tips

Authorities have arrested a Gloucester County man on federal charges for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Donned in a helmet, goggles, blue Trump 2020 sweatshirt, and camouflage pants, Peter M. Krill Jr. carried an American flag into the Capitol rotunda shortly after 2:30 p.m., according to court documents prepared by an FBI special agent.

Krill's loud attire helped federal investigators to identify him as an individual seen trying to help protestors force their way past Capitol police. The FBI says the 54-year-old Sewell man grabbed a police barricade and pulled it away from the officers, allowing other protestors to nearly push their way past police.

Krill was arrested in Sewell on Dec. 15, 2022. He faces felony charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer and civil disorder, along with four misdemeanors related to his presence in the Capitol building.

A man identified by federal prosecutors as Peter Krill moves a Capitol police barricade on Jan. 6, 2021. (DOJ)

🔎 Tips lead to Capitol riot arrest

In the days following Jan. 6, investigators used social media posts to identify suspects who participated in the riot.

One unidentified tipster reported to the FBI a video from the riot posted to TikTok by user "@petekrilldontgiveaf-ck," according to court documents. The video from Jan. 6 around 2:30 p.m. appeared to show a view from scaffolding on the Capitol building's north side, where protesters were not allowed to gather.

Another person reported to the FBI that their coworkers had stated they knew someone named Pete who had videos on his phone from inside the Capitol building. The FBI was able to identify Krill as the individual with the videos.

TikTok video (left). A man identified by federal prosecutors as Peter Krill on Jan. 6, 2021. (DOJ)

An FBI special agent later interviewed another witness who identified Krill based on a missing pinky. The witness told authorities that Krill is missing a pinky on his right hand, the same as the man with a helmet and goggles seen holding an American flag in the rotunda.

According to the DOJ, more than 950 people in nearly all 50 states have been arrested in the last two years for breaching the Capitol. Of those individuals, over 280 have also been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Anyone who wants to submit a tip to the FBI related to the Capitol riot can call the bureau at 1-800-225-5324 or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Update: NJ arrests in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot

A year later, more than 20 people from New Jersey have been charged with involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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