A California man who lost three of his limbs as a teenager was arrested in Los Angeles on Tuesday over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots in Washington, D.C.
Cameron Charles Clapp faces federal charges for entering the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection, according to court records obtained by The Daily Beast.
Clapp is an actor and motivational speaker who will turn 38 later this month. Four days after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a then-15-year-old Clapp was hit by a freight train after wandering away from a boozy ceremony commemorating the attacks and passing out on the tracks, according to an account of his “incredible survival story” by the Hangar Clinic, a company that specializes in prosthetic technology.
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The teenager woke up in the hospital with both his legs amputated above the knee and his right arm just below his shoulder. He eventually learned to walk with advanced prosthetics and was hailed as an inspiration, running marathons and mentoring other amputees, including soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also found work in Hollywood, appearing in shows like My Name Is Earl and Workaholics.
“Of course I miss my arm and my legs and stuff but I don’t dwell on it or get upset about anything. Just going to do what I need to do to be myself and be happy,” he told CBS News in 2005.
On Dec. 30, 2020, Clapp flew from California to Washington, D.C., and booked himself into a Marriott hotel, according to a criminal complaint. A day later, he posted a video of himself at the Washington Monument to his Instagram, captioning it: “Happy New Year’s Eve from DC. Super grateful! This year has brought incredible clarity and perspective. Love and world peace to all.”
In the video, Clapp tells the camera, “God bless America, the land of the free,” before turning to film the Capitol building and Lincoln Memorial. He adds, “Man, look at this sunset too.”
A tipster subsequently alerted the FBI that Clapp may have participated in the Capitol riots a few days later, according to the criminal complaint. An agent used cell records and images to place Clapp at the Capitol in a “distinctive vest,” using his prosthetic arm to wave an American flag.
Clapp was part of the crowd that surged into the Capitol through a northwest door, with surveillance footage capturing the motivational speaker walking the halls and snapping photos. He left the building through the same door about four minutes later, according to the complaint.
In a video obtained by the FBI, Clapp stands outside the building, saying, “I made it in but there’s—Nobody’s in, like everyone’s leaving. So, I did my part. I’m… satisfied.”
Five months later, Clapp graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in sociology, according to Camp No Limits, a nonprofit that helps children with limb loss. The organization, which has worked with Clapp since 2006, wrote on Facebook that “[h]is passion for life and living with a purpose inspires us all!”
A photo shared by the group shows that he graduated summa cum laude, and pictures him in the same vest he wears in a photo included in the FBI’s filing.
Online court records did not list an attorney for Clapp on Tuesday night.
Clapp is one of nearly 1,300 people—and the 88th Californian—to be arrested in the Capitol attack, according to data collected by the online group Sedition Hunters. Prosecutors have secured roughly 900 convictions against Jan. 6 defendants so far.
