Capitol Riot Ruling Separates Assaults, Plots From Cheering
- Eric Munchel was seen with plastic handcuffs at insurrection
- Appeals court orders judge to reconsider his denial of bail
Trump supporters in the Senate Chamber after storming the Capitol building on Jan. 6.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images
An accused rioter caught carrying hand restraints at the U.S. Capitol will get a new chance at release on bail, after the federal appeals court in Washington ordered a judge to reconsider a ruling that the man and his mother remain behind bars pending trial.
Eric Munchel, of Tennessee, became one the early emblems of the Jan. 6 riot after he was seen on camera carrying plastic handcuffs, known as zip ties, around the building. He was accompanied by his mother, Lisa Eisenhart, who was captured in video footage chanting, “Treason! Treason!” inside the Capitol, according to the U.S. The government is prosecuting hundreds of people accused of storming the site to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the November presidential election.