Father and son, Toney Sheldon Bray and Ethan Bray, were arrested for actions during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach (Photos from court documents)
A father and son, who wore identical American flag and “Armor of God” patches and gasmasks when they allegedly stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, have been arrested on federal felony charges, officials said.
Toney Sheldon Bray, 46, and Ethan Bray, 25, of Mississippi, were arrested Thursday. They face a slew of charges, including obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Toney Bray is also charged with theft of government property after authorities said he carried out a police riot shield from the Capitol Building, officials said.
According to court documents, the Brays were part of the initial breach, who allegedly pushed and climbed over the police barriers at 12:53 p.m. at Peace Circle at Pennsylvania Avenue NW and First Street NW.
The Brays were among the first to confront law enforcement on the staircase under scaffolding leading from the West Plaza to the Lower West Terrace, authorities alleged.
They entered the U.S. Capitol Building at 2:22 p.m. through the Senate wing door, moved toward the crypt, and were seen wearing gas masks on Capitol CCTV footage, officials said.
“At the time they entered the Capitol, the Brays were wearing gas masks,” court documents said. “From their appearance, the self-proclaimed Sedition Hunters gave them the nickname ‘gasmasktwins.'”
When they entered the Capitol, the Brays were wearing gas masks. The Brays were captured on CCTV in the Crypt at 2:24 p.m. After exiting the crypt, the Brays moved to the rotunda, where they were again captured in an open-source photo and Capitol CCTV at 2:36 p.m., authorities said.
After moving between the hallway and the Rotunda, the Brays left through the rotunda doors leading to the east front of the Capitol at 2:54 p.m.
They were inside the Capitol for 32 minutes. After leaving the rotunda, open-source and Capitol CCTV footage showed Toney Bray carrying a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield, authorities said.
The breach happened after former President Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election when the House of Representatives and the Senate met in separate Capitol Building chambers to certify the Electoral College’s vote count. The breach prompted an evacuation of the building, and the certification session was suspended until shortly after 8 p.m.
More than 1,000 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach. Nearly 350 people were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, officials said.
The Brays were allegedly among the individuals arrested on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021, for curfew violations, according to the federal criminal complaint. However, they were not charged for their conduct in and around the Capitol at that time, authorities said.
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