Man with ‘homemade napalm,’ GOP legislator among arrestees

Five other Republican state lawmakers among protesters, but did not enter Capitol

A Republican legislator from West Virginia and an Alabama man caught with a cache of weapons in his pickup truck — including “homemade napalm” — are among more than a dozen pro-Trump rioters facing federal charges because of their role in the bloody attack on the U.S. Capitol, Justice Department officials said Friday.

In a conference call with reporters, principal assistant U.S. attorney Ken Kohl said the West Virginia politician, Derrick Evans, had been charged with unlawfully entering restricted areas of the Capitol during Wednesday’s assault, which left a police officer and at least four other people dead.

Evans live-streamed himself while breaking into the Capitol screaming “we’re in.” Members of the West Virginia Legislature have called for him to be expelled. It was not immediately clear if Evans was in custody.

Other Republican state lawmakers who participated in an earlier rally, in which President Trump incited his supporters to violence, said they had not entered the Capitol building.

Several condemned the violence wrought by the pro-Trump insurgents.

“At no point did we enter the Capitol building, at no point did we tread upon the Capitol steps, and at no point did we tread upon police lines,” Pennsylvania State Sen. Doug Mastriano said in comments reported by WHTM, Harrisburg’s ABC affiliate.

He called the violence committed by Trump supporters “repugnant, disgusting and threatening.”

Tennessee State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver, Virginia State Sen. Amanda Chase, Missouri State Rep. Justin Hill and Michigan State Rep. Matt Maddock also remained with protesters outside the Capitol.

The Alabama man, Lonnie Coffman, was caught by authorities with 11 molotov cocktails in his red pickup truck parked near the U.S. Capitol, according to Kohl.

Coffman made the explosive devices with “not only gasoline, but Styrofoam,” which creates what is essentially “homemade napalm,” Kohl said. Also found in Coffman’s possession were two handguns and an assault rifle.

Among the other 14 individuals the Justice Department unveiled charges against Friday was Richard Barnett, an Arkansas man who was spotted in photos breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.

The officials on Friday’s call did not say if a suspect had been identified in the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher during the riots. The officials said authorities are sparing “no resources” in the multi-agency investigation into Sicknick’s death.