The athlete was identified thanks to the images captured of the attacks on the Capitol
Photo: EFE / Courtesy
The American Olympic swimmer Klete Keller was charged on Wednesday in related to the attack on the Capitol , occurred the week last, court records show.
A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington DC, showed Keller was charged with obstructing the law, trespassing and remain in a restricted building or land without legal authority, in addition to violence and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds.
The videos appear to show the Olympic gold medalist inside the Capitol Rotunda the January 6 in a USA Olympics team jacket
When protesters clashed with police, law enforcement officers can be seen repeatedly trying to make back off the crowd, which included a man who appears to be Keller.
SwimSwam, a news website that c udder competitive swimming, he first identified Keller as possibly one of the members of the group that supported Trump and attacked the Capitol.
The New York Times also spoke with former – anonymous teammates and coaches who claimed that he was indeed part of the crowd.
Federal agents confirmed that he was Keller in the videos, in part by matching the photo of his driver’s license driving from Colorado with the person seen in the pictures, according to the criminal complaint signed by an FBI special agent, Matthew R. Barofsky
Keller, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, also stood out because he is one of the tallest people in the videos, the complaint noted.
Keller was part of the US swim team at the Olympic Games in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Along with Michael Phelps, he was a member of the relay team that won the gold medal in 4X 200 m freestyle in 2004 and 2008. The team also set a new world record in the same event at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Melbourne in 2007.
Before police identified Keller as a participant in the riot, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee issued a statement to CBS News on Tuesday condemning last week’s actions.
“We support the right to peacefully protest and express values and points of view in a respectful and legal way; that’s what makes our democracy strong. Unfortunately, that is not what happened in this case, ”the committee said. Keller also resigned from the Hoff & Leigh real estate company in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he had been working as an independent contractor, according to a statement from the company. “Hoff & Leigh supports the right to freedom of expression and legal protest, but we cannot condone actions that violate the rule of law,” the company said.
The riot caused five deaths , including a Capitol police officer. House Democrats accused President Trump of inciting the assault on the Capitol and voted Wednesday to impeach him a second time. Ten House Republicans also voted in favor of impeachment.
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