Triple amputee actor arrested for allegedly breaching Capitol during January 6 attack

Cameron Clapp is being charged with obstructing an official proceeding, disorderly conduct and entering the Capitol unlawfully

Yet another Hollywood actor is facing charges for his alleged role in the January 6 attack.

Cameron Clapp, a triple amputee whose acting career led him to appearances in Workaholics and My Name is Earl, was arrested on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Federal prosecutors are accusing him of entering the Capitol unlawfully during the siege and attempting to obstruct the official proceedings of Congress, as well as disorderly conduct, according to a criminal complaint first reported by The Daily Beast.

Mr Clapp’s prosecution marks the second semi-notable TV actor now known to have been caught up in the mob of Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol with the intent of hunting down lawmakers and stopping the lawful certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

His prosecution follows that of Jay Johnston, a former actor on the hit show Bob’s Burgers, who is currently awaiting a trial which is set to begin later this year.

In the complaint which spurred the arrest warrant for Mr Clapp, it’s clear that his status as a triple amputee aided in efforts to identify him on social media. Days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Mr Clapp was hit by a freight train after leaving a memorial event; he survived but lost two legs and one arm. His disability became a part of his career as he began working as a motivational speaker and earned him a profile by CBS News.

A photo accompanying the criminal complaint clearly shows Mr Clapp on the steps of the Capitol, brandishing an American flag with his prosthetic arm, with a squad of riot police standing in two lines behind and above him. Mr Clapp and other alleged rioters at the scene are not seen battling with officers in the photo, as was occurring elsewhere around the complex.

Later, other photos appear to show Mr Clapp entering the Capitol building through a door as part of a massive throng of people; he is identifiable by a hat with a large American flag displayed on the front forehead area which is seen in other pictures. Riot police are seen blocking off one hallway in that picture, and a door is crudely barricaded with furniture to keep attackers out.

Records obtained by the FBI also allegedly revealed that Mr Clapp, who lives in California, had stayed at a Marriott hotel in the DC area over the period surrounding the attack.

A video obtained by investigators through social media also reveals Mr Clapp declaring himself “satisfied” with the efforts of rioters (including himself) that day — even though the attack did not successfully halt the assumption of the presidency by Joe Biden.

“I made it in but there’s...Nobody’s in. Like everyone’s leaving, so...I did my part. I’m... satisfied,” Mr Clapp allegedly says in the recording.

The Justice Department continued to chug along with its efforts to criminally prosecute as many participants in the January 6 attack as possible; more than 1,200 Americans have already been charged for their alleged roles.

One of those Americans is Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, who on January 6 appealed to a massive crowd of his supporters outside the White House to descend upon Congress and “fight” what he said was an illegal effort to end his presidency. It wasn’t; the Trump campaign had failed to prove its allegations of fraud in court, and Congress was undergoing the traditional and lawful process of certifying the slates of electors submitted by states around the country.

Mr Trump remains charged in two jurisdictions over the attack on Congress. Federally, he is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy against the rights of US citizens, and witness tampering.