ORLANDO, Fla. – A Full Sail University student was caught on camera hitting an officer in the head with a skateboard during the riot at the Capitol earlier this year, according to the FBI.
Officials from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said Grady Douglas Owens was in custody in Orlando and appeared before a judge Thursday at 3 p.m. Owens studies music production at Full Sail and lives at an apartment complex in Winter Park.
Owens will remain in federal custody overnight. The judge postponed his bond hearing to Friday at 10 a.m.
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According to the report, Owens was captured on body camera video as part of a group of rioters who clashed with police outside the Capitol. During the altercation, Owens used a black skateboard with WhiteFang written on it to hit Metropolitan Police Department Officer Christopher Boyle on the head, records show.
Authorities said Boyle suffered a concussion and an injury to his right pinky finger.
Images from the body camera video were used to make a wanted posted in hopes of identifying Owens. On Feb. 16, an agent investigating the case noticed that the same man was pictured on a Twitter page called @SeditionHunters, which is dedicated to helping identify those involved in the riot.
Records show the agent used a clearer picture obtained from the Twitter page to conduct an image search and ended up locating Owens’ Instagram profile.
Owens was pictured on his Instagram wearing the same stocking cap he was wearing during the riot, according to the report.
Authorities said they used the name from Owens’ Instagram profile to locate vehicle information and that led them to discover that Owens is a Full Sail student who lives at an apartment complex in Winter Park.
A school employee was shown a picture taken during the riot and immediately identified the man in the footage as Owens, records show.
Owens is facing three felonies and one misdemeanor charge, including assaulting an officer with a weapon. If convicted of all four charges, he could spend up to 31 years in prison and face a $600,000 fine.
On Tuesday, Proud Boys member Arthur Jackman was taken into custody on several charges after the FBI said he entered the Senate chamber during the riot and texted his childhood friend a selfie while there.
As the criminal investigation against him continues, his wife, a deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is now under review as well as the department tries to determine whether she “is associated with people or groups that exhibit extremist ideology.”
She was working in Orange County at the time of the riot and has not been accused of any crime.
On Jan. 6, a mob of former President Donald Trump supporters pushed past police and entered the Capitol building as lawmakers were preparing to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win. Five people died during the violence: Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick and four demonstrators.
At least 250 arrests have been made thus far, a number that includes several Floridians.
Among the most notable local suspects are a Sanford firefighter, a Proud Boys organizer and a Marion County man who was previously convicted of attempted murder.
Three others – Connie and Kelly Meggs and Kenneth Harrelson – are accused of plotting their actions ahead of Jan. 6 through phone calls and online conversations as members of the Oath Keepers.
Anyone with information about someone who was involved in the riot can find details on how to report them here.
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