A search warrant for a Montgomery County man arrested at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 reveals new details about his arrest, including that he swung a Confederate flag attached to a lacrosse stick at police officers.
David Blair, 26, of Clarksburg, was arrested on Capitol grounds as night fell. The FBI says body camera footage shows Blair positioning himself between police and other protesters on the west lawn.
“Hell naw, quit backing up, don’t be scared. We’re Americans!” Blair yelled, as recounted through body camera footage.
When an officer pushed Blair back, Blair said, “What’s up, m-----f-----, what’s up bitch?” and struck the officer in the chest with his lacrosse stick.
His attorney, Samuel Bogash, said Blair was watching the TV coverage of people marching and descending on the Capitol, and decided to drive down by himself. He parked in DuPont Circle, a three mile walk to the Capitol.
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“He just really wanted to be a part of that,” Bogash said. “He thought it was history in the making.”
Bogash said Blair did not know that people had broken into the Capitol, and was not aware of the curfew despite it being announced over loudspeakers. Blair did get inside the Capitol on that historic day — it’s where he was taken to be processed after being arrested.
“He feels like an idiot,” Bogash said. “He was sitting in the jail cell along with everybody else, and wondering what the hell am I doing here. He really feels like he was sold a bill of goods. He’s one of these guys who’s been watching Fox and Newsmax and OANN and doing his own research on the internet; he was beginning to buy into that stuff.”
After Blair struck the officer, officers took him to the ground and struck with him batons, causing a concussion and a scar on his head, Bogash said.
Police recovered a bag that contained a knife — Blair said he was carrying it because he was “worried about Antifa and other people trying to jump me.” He also had tape, which he acknowledged “looks damn suspicious” but which he said was used to affix the flag to his lacrosse stick.
Blair was treated at a hospital, and released from custody.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Blair’s home city. He lives in Clarksburg. The Sun regrets the error.