An Alabama man associated with the Oath Keepers has been charged after allegedly coordinating to storm the Capitol with his fellow paramilitary members—and his 85-pound dog “Warrior.” Jonathan Walden, a 46-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, is among at least 16 Oath Keepers who have been charged with conspiracy for allegedly planning and training to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6. Prosecutors state that Walden, who went by the alias “EoinAL,” reached out to one of his co-conspirators on Jan. 5, asking to be a part of the armed group that would be lingering outside D.C. and ready to bring weapons to Oath Keepers during the siege.
“I am interested in the QRF team in D.C. I am a former Firefighter, EMT-B and have a K-9 trained for security patrol (82 ib. German Shepherd named 'Warrior')!” Walden wrote, followed by a phone number, according to a superseding indictment unsealed on Tuesday. “I have a Jump Bag with Trauma supplies and have ALL the necessary 2A gear that the situation may require. PLEASE ADVISE. As soon as I hear from you I can hit the road and join up.” Walden stayed at the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. with other Oath Keepers and met up with his fellow insurrections early on Jan. 6 to go over the plan. “Walden was equipped with goggles, scissors, a tactical vest with attachments, gloves, a backpack, fatigues, boots, and his dog,” the indictment states.
Later that day, prosecutors state Walden and two other Oath Keepers—Roberto Minuta and Joshua James—rode towards the Capitol in a pair of golf carts, swerving around law enforcement vehicles before parking. As The Daily Beast previously reported, Minuta and James provided protection to Trump adviser Roger Stone before the siege. Prosecutors state that before Walden entered the Capitol alongside his K-9 friend, he also “berated and taunted law enforcement officers.”
Read it at Department of Justice
