A ‘valued member of the Justice Department’ told rioters to kill police officers during the Jan 6 riots

A former January 6 defendant who urged rioters to “kill” police officers during the Capitol riot has been hired as a senior adviser at the Department of Justice. It’s not hard to imagine why this agency has undergone significant changes under the second Trump administration. The individual, Jared Wise, was previously an FBI agent for more than ten years, specializing in international counterterrorism.

Court records from his trial, found by NPR, show that he was recorded on police body camera footage insulting officers and calling them “Nazi” and “Gestapo.” This footage, which had not been released before, was found during a review of court evidence from January 6 cases. A Justice Department spokesperson said Wise is a “valued member of the department” and that his work is appreciated.

The videos show Wise on the upper west terrace of the Capitol at 4:21 PM, roughly two hours after rioters first broke into the building. The air was filled with pepper spray, and members of Congress had been forced to leave. Police officers, who had already been attacked with different weapons, were trying to hold back the angry crowd. Wise, who had entered the Capitol earlier through a door that had been forced open, confronted the officers.

Wise repeatedly shouted at them, saying, “You guys are disgusting… I’m former law enforcement. You’re disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo.” He kept yelling, “Shame on you,” as he stood in front of the police line. When a fight broke out and a rioter knocked an officer to the ground, Wise was heard screaming, “Kill ’em! Kill ’em!” and “Get ’em! Get ’em!”

Former DOJ is a January 6 rioter who called for murder

Wise was charged in 2023 with crimes including civil disorder and helping others attack law enforcement. He pleaded not guilty and went to trial in early 2025. During his testimony, Wise admitted that he entered the Capitol, which he called “irrational,” and that his words were “terrible.”

He tried to justify his actions by saying he was reacting to what he believed was “police brutality” and that his use of words like “Nazi” and “Gestapo” came from his law enforcement background. He claimed that yelling “kill ’em” was just an angry outburst and that he did not truly want anyone to die. Prosecutors challenged his testimony, pointing out that his attitude had changed from just moments earlier.

The trial ended with closing arguments from both sides right before the presidential inauguration. On January 20, the new president ordered all remaining Capitol riot cases to be dropped, calling them a “grave national injustice.” The next day, Wise’s case was officially dismissed by a federal judge. The administration, now almost eight months into its term, has no issues forgiving anyone who participated in the January 6 events.

Ed Martin, a conservative activist who once served on the board of a nonprofit supporting January 6 defendants, was named the U.S. pardon attorney and leader of the administration’s new “Weaponization Working Group.” Martin has publicly claimed that the January 6 events were “staged” and that violence against police might have been justified.