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In an encrypted chat during the weeks before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, D.C. bartender Joshua Pruitt discussed how he wanted to become a full-fledged member of the Proud Boys, a far-right group with a history of violence that his text messages show was planning for full battle at the Capitol.
“I just want to do whatever needs to be done to be legit,” Pruitt said.
He discussed protective gear and lodging with other group members. Shortly after the riot, the texts show, his membership was approved.
Pruitt, 40, showed up at three key points at the Capitol on Jan. 6, wearing a “Punisher” tank top, including in the Crypt, where he was photographed hurling a sign across the room and later went face-to-face with police. He was also photographed in the Capitol Visitors Center, where he threw a chair and confronted another group of rioters trying to access the Capitol tunnel system.
Then, in the halls of the Capitol, he began approaching…
This article was written by Tom Jackman and originally published on www.washingtonpost.com