Video shows Department of Justice official urging Jan. 6 rioters to “kill” cops

Newly released body-camera footage from the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot shows former FBI agent Jared Wise standing with the mob and shouting “Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em!” as rioters attack police officers. In the video, Wise berates the officers on the Capitol’s upper West Terrace, yelling that they are “Nazis” and “Gestapo” while rioters force a path through the police line. The clip – first reported by NPR – was introduced as evidence in Wise’s January 2025 trial. (Police bodycams show Wise shouting at officers as the chaos unfolds.) The Justice Department has since confirmed that Wise is now a senior adviser in the DOJ under the Trump administration, a fact first uncovered by NPR.

Capitol riot footage and aftermath

Newly obtained video and court records paint a detailed picture of Wise’s role on Jan. 6. He is captured on police bodycams as the Capitol is overrun by Trump supporters. NPR reports that it has “obtained police bodycam footage from multiple angles” showing Wise in the middle of the riot. In that footage, Wise can be heard yelling at officers, “You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo,” even as rioters are actively assaulting law enforcement. Then, as other rioters knock an officer to the ground, Wise shouts “Kill ’em! Kill ’em! Kill ’em!” – urging violence against the police. Wise later told investigators and testified at trial that he used “terrible words” in anger, and that he did not actually want anyone to die.

• Jan. 6, 2021 – Riot at the Capitol: Wise, a former counterterrorism supervisor in the FBI (2004–2017), traveled to Washington to support President Trump. He joined the crowd that broke into the Capitol and “clapped his hands and raised his arms in triumph” as he walked into the Senate chamber. Later that afternoon, police bodycam footage shows him confronting officers, calling them “disgusting,” “Nazi” and “Gestapo,” and ultimately shouting for the mob to “Kill ’em!” as the assault on police intensified.

• 2023 – Indictment: Federal prosecutors charged Wise with six counts related to the riot (including civil disorder, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and aiding an assault on officers). He pleaded not guilty and was set to go on trial in mid-January 2025.

• Jan. 20, 2025 – Pardon and Dismissal: On President Trump’s first day back in office, he issued near-universal clemency for Jan. 6 defendants. Trump’s DOJ immediately moved to dismiss Wise’s case on Jan. 20, effectively ending the prosecution.

• Early 2025 – DOJ Appointment: Shortly after the pardon, Wise joined the Justice Department as a senior adviser. NPR located messages showing his title as a DOJ Deputy Attorney General’s office adviser. The DOJ publicly defended the hire: a Justice Department spokesperson told NPR that “Jared Wise is a valued member of the Justice Department” whose contributions are appreciated. Reports indicate he has been working on internal reviews of alleged law-enforcement “weaponization,” a focus of the new administration.

Thousands of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Many rioters, like those shown above, were armed with makeshift weapons (poles, baseball bats, chemical sprays) and overwhelmed barricades. In that chaos, Wise entered the building through a forced doorway and briefly made his way into the Senate wing. After exiting, he later stepped back up to a police line and unleashed his verbal attack on officers. His actions were documented in detail during prosecution – until they were abruptly halted.

DOJ response and broader context

The Justice Department maintains that Wise’s hiring was justified by his work. In a statement, DOJ officials said Wise has “contributed to our team” and called him a “valued member” of the Department. But the episode highlights deep divisions over Jan. 6. Under the Trump administration’s second term, nearly all Capitol riot cases have been dropped or pardoned. President Trump has repeatedly condemned the prosecutions as a “national disgrace,” and his team has reshaped the DOJ accordingly. For example, Trump appointed Ed Martin (a pardon attorney) to lead a new “Weaponization Working Group” and installed loyalists in key roles, and his Attorney General Pam Bondi fired dozens of career prosecutors who had worked on Jan. 6 cases. All of this has made Wise’s appointment less surprising to some observers – and more troubling to others who see it as part of a politicized overhaul of law enforcement.

Key takeaways: Wise’s case underscores how the Capitol riot’s legacy is still unfolding. NPR’s report prompted headlines noting that “less than five years after urging rioters to ‘kill’ police at the Capitol, a former Jan. 6 defendant is working as a senior adviser for the Department of Justice.” In the newly released video, Wise is heard urging violence against officers. He had been facing serious charges for that conduct, but those charges were dropped after the new administration pardoned him. He now works at the DOJ, which insists he is a “valued member” despite the revelations. The episode highlights ongoing debate over the Jan. 6 prosecutions and the Trump administration’s reshaping of the Justice Department in the riot’s aftermath.