WASHINGTON — An active-duty U.S. Marine Corps commissioned officer stationed at Quantico in Northern Virginia has been arrested for assault on law enforcement during the siege at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
According to court documents and security camera footage, Major Christopher Warnagiris violently entered the Capitol after pushing through a line of police officers guarding the East Rotunda doors around 2:25 p.m. Once inside, prosecutors say the 40-year-old Woodbridge man positioned himself in the corner of the doorway, using his body to keep the door open and pull others inside.
When a U.S. Capitol Police officer tried to pull the doors shut, Warnagiris allegedly refused and continued pushing it open. Warnagiris can be seen pushing the officer in an effort to maintain his position in the open door.
A federal judge released the commissioned officer pending trial. WUSA9 attempted to contact him Friday, but he did not pick up his phone at the sprawling apartment complex where he lives in Woodbridge.
Property managers said he's polite and gracious in their dealings with him, but one of his neighbors, who did not want to be identified, said she's scared.
"I think it's really unfortunate that a lot of people are hiding in plain sight," the neighbor said.
The complex houses lots of troops and national security workers, according to management, but the neighbor said she worries about radicalization.
"We really have to understand how that plays a role in triggering soccer moms and next door neighbors," she said.
Warnagiris is charged with federal offenses that include assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and obstruction of justice, among other charges.
Thursday, a Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed Warnagiris’s active duty status, and sent this statement:
“The Marine Corps is clear on this: there is no place for racial hatred or extremism in the Marine Corps," wrote Marine Corps spokesman, Major J. A. Hernandez. "Our strength is derived from the individual excellence of every Marine regardless of background. Bigotry and racial extremism run contrary to our core values. Participation with hate or extremist groups of any kind is directly contradictory to the core values of honor, courage, and commitment that we stand for as Marines and isn't tolerated by the Marine Corps. We are proud of the fact that Marines come from every race, creed, cultural background and walk of life. We expect every Marine to treat their fellow Marines with dignity and respect. Those who can't value the contributions of others, regardless of background, are destructive to our culture, our warfighting ability, and have no place in our ranks.”
In the first 120 days after Jan. 6, the Department of Justice says approximately 440 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol breach, including over 125 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.