Derrick Evans, a newly elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, has been charged with entering a restricted area and disorderly conduct for his role Wednesday in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Federal officials involved in the case say they were able to identify Evans, a Republican from Wayne County, through video he streamed of Wednesday’s events that was posted on social media before later being deleted.
Evans was one of hundreds of pro-Trump extremists who stormed the U.S. Capitol and disrupted the Congressional certification of state election results that solidified Democrat Joe Biden as winner of the 2020 presidential election.
Charging documents associated with the case against Evans were released Friday afternoon.
The documents list two charges: “Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority” and “Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds.”
The complaint alleges that "Evans 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."
The complaint also notes that Evans was identified through video he live streamed on his Facebook page, as well as his voice in the video, which federal officials compared to a campaign video that Evans had earlier posted to the same page.
“We’re in! We’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” he can be heard as saying at one point on the video.
The Facebook page where Evans live-streamed his role in the insurrection has since been deleted.
Updated: Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 at 5:40 p.m.
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