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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A Utah activist who filmed the fatal shooting of a Trump supporter during the U.S. Capitol insurgency will be released under house arrest, a federal judge said on Friday.
John Sullivan, 26, a self-proclaimed liberal journalist and activist, was arrested Thursday and charged with civil unrest, violent entry or disorderly conduct and entering a building or restricted land.
He first appeared in court on Friday via video conference during which he was released on several release conditions, including staying home when he is not going to work, church services or court appearances.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Reeves also asked Sullivan not to have access to social media and to monitor his internet access to limit his ability to incite violence.
“We understand that this individual thrives in chaos,” Reeves said. “He thrives on inciting chaos. He will use the appearance of protest to generate chaos. He will pose as different members of organizations, those who even disowned him, so that he can generate this self-expanding attention.
Mary Corporon, Sullivan’s lawyer, agreed to the request as long as she did not bar her client from finding a job.
Sullivan is prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition, or other dangerous weapons, and must not possess narcotics or controlled substances. He is also not allowed to leave the state and must surrender his passport.
He is scheduled to appear for his next virtual court appearance on January 22.
Sullivan released footage to the FBI that showed him entering the Capitol on Jan.6 and wandering the building, according to arrest documents. His footage also included a video of when Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, of San Diego, was shot dead by Capitol Police outside the President’s lobby, court documents show.
In one video, Sullivan can be heard cheering the crowd as they walked through the last barricade before the Capitol and saying, “We did this together … We are all part of history.”
In at least two encounters, Sullivan can be heard telling officers to step aside so as not to get hurt and say “people have spoken,” according to an affidavit.
He told The Associated Press earlier this week that he was only there to document events on the U.S. Capitol and that he did not attend the riot as a Trump supporter.
Sullivan was also charged with riot and criminal mischief on July 13 following a June protest in Provo that resulted in a bullet in an SUV driver as he drove through the two opposing groups. The case is pending.
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Eppolito is a member of the Associated Press / Report for America Statehouse News Initiative body. Report for America is a national, nonprofit service program that places reporters in local newsrooms to report on secret issues.
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