The Capitol riot's 'zip-tie guy' appeared to take the plastic handcuffs from Capitol police, prosecutors sayhttps://www.insider.com/zip-tie-guy-capitol-riot-plastic-handcuffs-police-prosecutors-2021-1Eric Munchel, a pro-Trump rioter who stormed the Capitol building while holding plastic handcuffs, took the restraints from a table inside the Capitol building, prosecutors said in a court filing Wednesday.
Munchel, who broke into the building with his mom, was labeled "zip-tie guy" after he was photographed barreling down the Senate chamber holding the restraints. His appearance raised questions about whether the insurrectionists who sought to stop Congress from counting Electoral College votes on January 6 also intended to take lawmakers hostage.
But according to the new filing, Munchel and his mother took the handcuffs from within the Capitol building — apparently to ensure the Capitol Police couldn't use them on the insurrectionists — rather than bring them in when they initially breached the building.
"Insurrection" is the new "Gravitas". That aside, this is yet another narrative element proven false by prosecutors' evidence: some of the rioters started planning in November, weeks before the Trump speech that supposedly incited them; Zip-Tie Guy didn't bring the zip-ties into the Capitol to take people captive.
