Capitol riot participants claim USCP officer said, 'It's your house now': complaint

A suspected rioter who entered the U. S. Capitol amid last week's unfolding chaos said a Capitol Police officer shook his hand upon entering the building and said, "It's your house now," according to authorities.

Robert Bauer, of Kentucky, and his cousin Edward Hemenway, a Virginia resident, attended the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally that preceded the riot. Bauer told the FBI that after the event, both men went with a group to the Capitol, according to a federal affidavit.

Once inside, they encountered the officer who grabbed Bauer's hand to shake before making the statement. The officer also shook Hemenway's hand, he recalled.

Hemenway told him "sorry," to which the officer replied a second time: "It's your house now." He also gave Hemenway a "half-hug," Hemenway told authorities.

Bauer said he believed the officer was acting out of fear. Both men are charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct and knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building o... (Read more)

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