FILE — Violent rioters loyal to President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File). Insets: Judy Fraize is seen at a rally for Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., left, and inside the U.S. Capitol building talking to a police officer, right, on Jan. 6, 2021 (images via FBI court filing).
A 70-year-old Texas woman who allegedly said to a police officer that “blue lives matter” before completely disregarding his order that she leave the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 is now facing possible jail time.
Judy Fraize, 70, joined the riotous crowd of Donald Trump supporters that day who overwhelmed police and violently broke into the Capitol building as Congress had begun to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win. The breach brought proceedings to a halt and forced lawmakers and Capitol staffers to either flee the building or shelter in place for hours.
Exactly six months later, Fraize spoke with FBI investigators and admitted she entered the building, according to a probable cause affidavit in support of her arrest.
“Fraize told agents that she had travelled from Dallas to Washington, D.C. as part of a convoy to attend a rally for the former President,” the affidavit says. “Fraize provided the interviewing agents with a video that she had taken inside of the U.S. Capitol and a picture of herself taken at the rally on January 6, 2021. In the photo from January 6, 2021, Fraise is wearing a red ‘Make America Great Again’ baseball-style hat, a blue sweater, and a tan jacket.”
Security footage captured Fraize entering the building through the Upper West Terrace door around five minutes after other rioters broke through, the affidavit says. She made her way to the Capitol Rotunda and Statuary Hall, where she joined what the affidavit describes as “a group of rioters crowding outside of the doors to the House Chamber.”
At around 2:47 p.m., after returning to the Rotunda, Fraize is seen sitting on a bench for about one minute before getting up and using her cellphone to either record a video or take pictures, the affidavit says. At this time she also “appeared to interact with other rioters and pose for pictures.”
Around 20 minutes later, police-worn body camera footage captured Fraize sitting on a bench along a wall of the Rotunda. At this time, police were telling rioters to exit the building.
“At approximately 3:08:16 p.m., Officer 1 told Fraize and other rioters sitting on the bench that they needed to leave,” the affidavit says. “Fraize acknowledged Officer 1 and appeared to say ‘blue lives matter,’ but did not immediately stand up.”
The officer then repeatedly told those sitting on the bench to exit. Fraize did get up at that point, but did not immediately leave and instead walked around the Rotunda some more.
“At approximately 3:09:10 p.m., Fraize turned toward Officer 1 and says ‘we gotta take our county back,”” the affidavit says. She then walked out of view of the officer’s body camera.
Security footage shows that Fraize left the building at around 3:16 p.m., after spending some 37 minutes inside, prosecutors say.
She is charged with a total of four misdemeanors for trespassing and disorderly conduct. They carry a potential combined statutory maximum sentence of three years in jail.
Read the affidavit here.
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