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An alleged Capitol Hill rioter who is accused of assaulting police has been exposed by his match on the Bumble dating app, prosecutors said.
Andrew Quentin Taake of Houston, Texas made his first court appearance on Friday, according to the Department of Justice.
He faces six counts of rioting, including assaulting, resisting or hindering certain officers; as well as hampering law enforcement during civil unrest.
Three days after the January 6 riots, the FBI received a tip from an individual who contacted Taake on Bumble while in Washington, DC, according to an affidavit.
The match provided screenshots of the conversation, in which Taake bragged about his involvement in the Capitol security breach.
“Yeah, everything was wild! Were you close to all the action? The match asked, according to the screenshot.
“Yes from the very beginning,” replied Taake. “I was pepper sprayed with tear gas and beaten with batons for standing there peacefully.”
Taake then sent a photo of him, which he said was taken “about 30 minutes after being sprayed”.
“I’m sure to say that I was the very first person to be sprayed that day… while still standing there,” Taake said.
The two have never met in person, according to the FBI.
Body-worn camera footage of Taake’s participation showed a different story, the affidavit revealed.
Taake is seen in the video approaching DC Metropolitan Police officers and spraying them with pepper. He is later seen hitting an MPD officer with what appeared to be a metal whip.
Taake is also seen in security footage entering the Capitol with the whip.
More than 535 people were arrested in connection with the January 6 riots, including more than 165 who are accused of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement, according to the DOJ.
Taake isn’t the first suspected rioter on Capitol Hill to be turned around by their Bumble match. Robert Chapman of Carmel, NY, was similarly rendered after bragging about his participation in a match on Bumble.
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