Texas teenager spoke to FBI about his father’s involvement in the Capitol riot



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An 18-year-old Texas man told the FBI about his father’s role in the U.S. Capitol Riot – and said he would do it again.

Jackson Reffitt – whose father Guy Reffitt was indicted last week during the Jan.6 siege – told local media outlet Fox4 he acted out of moral obligation.

“It was my moral compass… to do what I thought would protect not only my family, but also my father himself,” he said.

“I would do it again.”

Elder Reffitt, from Wylie, reportedly threatened his son and daughter, saying, “If you report me you’re a traitor and you know what happens to traitors… traitors get shot,” the court documents state.

His son told the TV station: “I took this as a threat, but I never thought he would act on it.”

Reffitt said his father was part of a far-right militia and had adopted increasingly radicalized views over the years.

He was concerned about what would happen when law enforcement came to arrest his father, saying, “The police could have come in anytime, at a bad time, whatever the situation and my father could have opened the door. fire.

Calling the FBI, “wasn’t just because I think my dad was aggressive,” Reffitt said. “I think what he’s been manipulated into thinking is aggressive.”

He also recalled the moment he learned that his father was at headquarters.

“I think it was FOX playing, and it was just a live screening of the riots on Capitol Hill, and the rush, and my mom said your dad was there,” Reffitt said.

Guy Reffitt, 48, was found by federal authorities after images of him on Capitol Hill during the riot were shown on YouTube and Fox News on the day of the siege, court documents show.

Photos included in an arrest affidavit show him wearing a padded or tactical-style vest and black helmet with what looks like a GoPro-style camera strapped to the Capitol.

Investigators found he had previously posted a comment on a website for an extremist militia group known as the Texas Freedom Force, according to the FBI.

When authorities arrested him on January 15, they found an AR-15 style rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol, according to court documents.

Although he hasn’t been able to speak with his father since the arrest, Jackson said he wished he could.

“I would say I’m sorry because I don’t feel like I’m putting him in this situation, but I still feel guilty,” he said.

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