A Sandston, Virginia, rapper is facing unlawful entry, disorderly conduct, and two other charges after being on the scene at the U.S. Capitol on the day of the riot.
Bugzie the Don, whose birth name is Antionne DeShaun Brodnax, was arrested on March 11, two months after the riot, and claims he happened to be in the area where the deadly event had taken place to get some footage for his music video. He noticed there was some commotion at the Capitol and headed over to see what was going on. The rebellion, which happened on Jan. 6, took place after former President Donald Trump urged his supporters to “fight like hell” following his false claim about voter fraud.
According to The Washington Post, upon his arrival, Brodnax admitted that he did go into the Capitol to get “pictures and videos of the architecture.” Brodnax was caught on video footage asking a woman to take a photo of him sitting by the Norman Borlaug statue in the National Statuary Hall. Another one of the photos, which eventually became the cover art for his album “The Capital,” was of him sitting on a police SWAT vehicle holding a cigar as more Trump supporters continue to storm the Capitol.
Brodnax has denied stealing anything from the Capitol and claims he did not have any involvement with the insurrection. He says he left the building shortly after being contacted by friends via social media, after they saw him on CNN. The government is still working on trying to gain access to his social media accounts. His attorney is reportedly attempting to stop the government’s plans by claiming their act interferes with his constitutional rights.
Brodnax is one out of 400 people who have been charged for their involvement in the riot. Almost 140 officers were injured due to the storming of the capitol, and officer Brian Sicknick died a day after trying to fight off rioters. Although he experienced injuries from that day, it is reported that Sicknick died from natural causes after suffering from a stroke.
