LA Woman Brought Sword, Steel Whip And Taser To Capitol Siege: FBI

LOS ANGELES, CA — A California woman is facing charges Thursday for hauling a cache of weapons including a sword, a steel tactical whip, a baton, a butterfly knife, a taser and pepper spray to take part in the siege of the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors allege Kennedy Lindsey flew with and Danielle Lacy from Los Angeles to take part in the attack. Both are accused of illegally entering the Capitol during the riot through a broken window, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court in the District of Columbia. Lindsey was arrested in Los Angeles last month on charges including disorderly conduct and possession of a dangerous weapon in a Capitol building.

After attending Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House, the two women rode to the Capitol on the back of a golf cart.

“Everyone is storming the building, folks," Lindsey said on a self-recorded video, according to the affidavit. "We must do this as patriots. It says so in the Constitution.”

According to the affidavit, she went on to say, “People are getting shot with tear gas, a girl died ... The tree of liberty is fed with what, people? Blood.”

Lindsey caught the attention of a Secret Service agent guarding the Presidential Transition Office, who noticed a sword attached to her leg along with suspicious behavior involving a large metal pole, according to the FBI. The agent searched her bag and found the cache of weapons.

Lindsey wore a red “Make America Great Again” hat and a tactical vest. She told investigators and her social media followers that she was going to the capitol that day because “the boss man called for us to be there."

Lindsey later told the FBI that she had retrieved the backpack from her hotel room after attending Trump's speech. She described her confiscated weapons as “tools" and acknowledged that they were in her backpack when she entered the Capitol, the affidavit says.

Lindsey was released from custody after her July 28 arrest.

Lindsey didn't immediately respond to a text message seeking comment from the Associated Press. An attorney who represented Lindsey at her initial court appearance didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Rioters were armed with an array of weapons on Jan. 6, including firearms, knives and stun guns. Many others used items like flagpoles and broken pieces of office furniture as makeshift weapons during the siege.

The investigation remains ongoing.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.