Trump supporter and Capitol rioter Andrew Quentin Taake, of Houston, Texas, was arrested Friday by the FBI after bragging on a dating app about his violent incursion into the US Capitol on January 6.
The FBI was tipped off by someone who said she hadn’t met Taake in person, but was texting with him about the riot on the dating app Bumble.
According to the FBI affidavit: “Witness 1 messaged Taake on a dating app, Bumble, while he was in Washington, D.C. Although Taake and Witness 1 never met in person, Taake discussed his participation in the riot with Witness 1 and sent Witness 1 several pictures of himself, including a picture of himself taken on January 6, 2021, after he was allegedly pepper sprayed by law enforcement officers. Witness 1 said Taake admitted to being inside the U.S. Capitol for approximately 30 minutes.”
Taake, 32 is accused of pepper-spraying officers and striking them with a metal “whip-like device” as the Trump mob stormed the Capitol.
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The report noted that “FBI agents were able to identify Taake through photographic evidence and that Bumble provides users with the location information of other individuals using the application.” That apparently helped the FBI place Taake in Alexandria, VA on a motorcycle headed for the Capitol, as well as on a plane flight to or from Houston.
“The FBI also located publicly posted videos and photographs showing Taake at the U.S. Capitol. Several of these images show Taake using what appears to be a metal whip and pepper spray to attack law enforcement officers. ”
As police lined up behind a barricade of bike racks to defend the Capitol, rioters began attacking including Taake, who “raised his arm and pepper sprayed the officers.” Taake then retreated back into the crowd of rioters. Minutes later, he is seen “striking officers with a weapon that appears to be a whip” before similarly retreating to the crowd, according to the report.
Taake faces several felony charges and a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
