The man captured in a viral photo taking a lectern from the U.S. House during Wednesday’s attack on the Capitol has been identified as a Parrish resident.
Adam Christian Johnson, 36, smiled and waved as he was caught on camera carrying what appeared to be U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s lectern as he walked through the U.S. Capitol Building with other rioters on Wednesday. The podium bears the official seal of the speaker of the House.
The image, captured by chief Getty Images photographer Win McNamee, quickly circulated social media in the hours that followed, and numerous local residents were swift in recognizing and identifying him. An acquaintance confirmed his identity for the Bradenton Herald.
Johnson lives in Parrish with his wife and their five children. His wife is a doctor in Palmetto.
Neither Johnson or his wife have responded to phone calls seeking comment.
Their home in the Harrison Ranch community in Parrish was quiet on Thursday morning, and the street numbers had been removed from the residence. Neighbors who know Johnson were unwilling to speak about him.
One neighbor reacted to the news saying, “I wondered if that was him,” while another said, “Whoa!”
Speaking at a press conference regarding Manatee County’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout with Gov. Ron DeSantis, state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, expressed disappointment in Johnson’s actions.
“I don’t care where they’re from. That’s intolerable. It’s sad that they may be from our community,” Boyd said. “There’s nothing right about what they did. I’m sad if it is one of ours, but they don’t act like us here in Manatee County.”
Johnson was not among the 14 people U.S. Capitol Police said they had arrested after the riot. The 14 suspects included three Florida residents, among them, Matthew Council of Riverview.
An additional total of 68 arrests were made overnight by D.C. police.
Johnson’s past criminal history includes possession of marijuana and violation of probation charges.
Screenshots posted by social media users and taken from what appear to be Johnson’s Facebook feed show him documenting his trip to Washington D.C. to participate in protests surrounding the certification of the presidential election.
Following a speech from President Donald Trump, his supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol and breached federal buildings in what quickly became a violent riot.
In one of the photos circulated online, the man can be seen posed alongside of a sign in the Capitol Building that reads: “Closed to all tours.”
The photo is simply captioned, “No.”
As of Wednesday night, at least 52 people had been arrested and four deaths had been confirmed following the attack on the Capitol, according to the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington D.C.
The FBI is actively seeking information, including tips, photos and videos, about individuals who participated in the riot.
“If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol,” the agency said.
This breaking news story will be updated. Check back for updates.
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