Man seen carrying Speaker Nancy Pelosi's podium arrested

A man seen carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's podium during the violence at US Capitol has been arrested.

The man, identified as Adam Johnson, 36, of Florida, was booked into the Pinellas County jail on Friday night, reported CNN.

Johnson illegally entered the US Capitol and removed the Speaker of the House's lectern from where it had been stored on the House side of the Capitol building, the United States Attorney's Office alleged.

Johnson was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of theft of government property, and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, the Attorney's Office said.

This comes after the man photographed casually sitting with his foot on a desk in Pelosi's office at the Capitol during the riot was arrested on Friday, said law enforcement officials.

NBC News reported that the man identified as Richard Barnett, 60, of Gravette, Arkansas, was taken into custody in his home state on federal charges of entering and remaining on restricted grounds as well as violent entry and theft of public property, according to a Department of Justice official.

Chaotic and violent scenes erupted at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of Trump stormed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police. At least five people died in the melee.

Wednesday's violence came hours after Trump encouraged his supporters to fight against the election results as Congress was certifying Biden's victory in the November vote.

( With inputs from ANI )

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