Garrett Miller a Texas man charged in connection to the Capitol riots, who also threatened to assassinate US Congresswoman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and hunt the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a rioter, issued an apology on Monday and said that he was just following Donald Trump’s orders when he stormed the Capitol.
“I was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, because I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief. His statements also had me believing the election was stolen from him,” Miller said in a statement released by his attorney Clinton Broden. “Nevertheless, I fully recognize Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and that the election is over. Donald Trump is no longer president and I would not have any reason to continue to follow his lead.”
He also apologized for writing “Assassinate AOC” in response to the congresswoman calling for Trump’s impeachment on the evening of January 6, and for threatening to hunt the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a pro-Trump rioter when they tried to breach the Capitol.
“While I never intended to harm Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez nor harm any members of the Capitol police force, I recognize that my social media posts were completely inappropriate. They were made at a time when Donald Trump had me believing that an American election was stolen,” he said.
“I want to publicly apologize to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and the Capitol police officers. I have always supported law enforcement and I am ashamed by my comments.”
Miller has been charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted buildings or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; obstructing or impeding any official proceeding; certain acts during civil disorder. His charges were upgraded to include a threat charge on Tuesday.
His apology to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and law enforcement came as a federal judge in Dallas ordered him detained without bail pending trial, after finding he was both a danger to the community and a flight risk, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, CNBC reports.
Life in prison