A man charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and for tasing Officer Michael Fanone broke down in tears while being interrogated by the FBI, video shows.
The clip released on Tuesday shows rioter Daniel Rodriguez, 38, of Panorama City, California sobbing as he tries to explain his actions to FBI agents.
“What do you want me to tell you? That I tased him? Yes,” Rodriguez told the agents. “Am I fucking piece of shit? Yes.”
Asked why he tased Officer Fanone, Rodriguez replied: “I don’t know. I’m a piece of shit, I’m sorry! I don’t know. He’s a human being with children, and he’s not a bad guy. He was just doing his job and I’m an asshole.”
In another clip, Rodriguez told investigators that Donald Trump called him to D.C.
“He was the commander-in-chief and the leader of our country,” Rodriguez said. “And he was calling for help! I thought he was calling for help!”
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” he added.
He describes finding a sense of purpose through attending Trump rallies and from listening to right wing outlets like InfoWars. He feared that President Joe Biden’s election would lead to Trump supporters like him being “rounded up.”
“We thought we were being used as a part of a plan to save the country, to save America, save the Constitution, and the election, the integrity,” Rodriguez said. “We thought that we were going to save America, and we were wrong.”
Rodriguez is now under indictment on nine federal counts in connection with the Capitol riot including assaulting a federal police officer, obstruction of an official proceeding, inflicting bodily injury using a dangerous weapon and, now, conspiracy, according to WUSA9.
