A former FBI agent claims he was justified in opposing police actions during the Capitol riot, citing concerns over excessive force used against rioters.
He took the stand to defend himself, saying he was upset about what he saw as police brutality that day. Wise, who used to work for the FBI, was in the Capitol shortly after it was breached. But the big issue isn’t what he did inside; it’s what he allegedly said to police outside later on.
In court, they showed footage of him yelling at DC police, calling them “the Nazi” and “the Gestapo.” Prosecutors say he even encouraged other rioters to attack the police. Wise insists he was just reacting to what he thought was excessive force by the officers. He mentioned his visits to Holocaust museums as part of why he shouted those names at the police.
He said he was really upset about the baton strikes aimed at rioters’ heads. While he never actually hit an officer, he felt he would have been justified if he had. On cross-examination, he admitted he was angry that day but denied wanting anyone to die, despite his heated comments.
This isn’t the first time someone from January 6 has blamed the police for the chaos. Wise’s defense team argues that his words didn’t incite violence. The jury will have to decide if his comments really encouraged others to act violently. They might start deliberating soon, so we’ll see how this all plays out.
