Auburn man faces charges in connection with Capitol riot

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Police hold off Trump supporters who tried to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Another Alabama man faces federal charges in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.

Court records show 23-year-old William Wright Watson of Auburn faces charges of civil disorder, being in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct. Watson had previously had his bond revoked in a drug case after he was identified as participating in the Jan. 6 riot.

An investigator wrote in an affidavit signed Monday that Watson described carrying a can of mace, pushing onto the Capitol grounds, and entering the Capitol through a broken window.

The investigator said in one photograph Watson appears to be holding the mace canister in the direction of law enforcement officers, but Watson told investigators he was holding it to defend himself if needed.

Watson was photographed standing next to a man wearing a horned hat during the riot.

A lawyer for Watson has maintained that Watson did not commit any violence at the Capitol.

Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.