A Lexington man has been charged with several federal violations including disorderly conduct for allegedly entering a tunnel during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Barry Saturday, of Lexington, was charged in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. on July 28 with civil disorder, knowingly entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct within a restricted building and disorderly conduct within the Capitol.
Saturday, who has unsuccessfully run for Lexington council in the past, was arrested Tuesday. Documents related to his arrest were also unsealed Tuesday, according to federal court records.
Saturday was not immediately available for comment.
According to a federal criminal complaint, federal law enforcement was able to identify Saturday through surveillance cameras and other videos during the Jan. 6 riot to overturn the election of President Joe Biden.
Saturday was caught on camera near the lower west terrace of the Capitol where rioters tried to push their way into the building, according to the court records.
At around 2:54 p.m. Saturday is reportedly shown just outside the tunnel, according to court records.
Around 2:56 p.m. the man federal agents have identified as Saturday is seen taking pictures of rioters trying to push through the police line.
At 3:15 p.m. video shows Saturday “on CCTV pushing against the backs of other rioters and putting his head down to brace himself against other rioters, actively participating in the heave-ho against the line of police officers at the end of the tunnel,” according to the criminal complaint.
Law enforcement officers were crushed in the back of the tunnel after rioters’ efforts to push against the line.
Then the tables turned, the indictment alleges.
Law enforcement was able to force the rioters out of the tunnel. Saturday later appears on camera in distress, allegedly from pepper spray, the complaint said. He later appears at the mouth of the tunnel. As law enforcement pushes rioters out of the tunnel, two rioters grab two police officers. Saturday recovered and then followed the rioters who had control of the two officers. Saturday did not touch the officers, according to the complaint.
As law enforcement made their way closer to the mouth of the tunnel, gaining ground on the rioters, Saturday returned to the tunnel multiple times, according to the criminal indictment.
At 4:18 p.m. Saturday is seen once again in the tunnel, participating in another effort to push law enforcement back into the tunnel, court documents said.
The FBI was able to track Saturday using facial recognition software. Photos of Saturday, who unsuccessfully ran for a Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council seat in May 2022, were published in the Lexington Herald-Leader and on other publicly facing websites.
In addition, FBI agents had interviewed Saturday in 2018 and 2019 after he reported being the victim of a cyber crime. The FBI agents who interviewed him looked at the surveillance photo and confirmed it was Saturday.
Cell phone records also indicate Saturday was in both restricted and unrestricted areas of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to court records.
In addition to running for council in May 2022, Saturday also ran for council in 2016 but ultimately dropped out of the race.
