California woman carried 'short sword', tactical whip, other weapons into Capitol, DOJ says

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors unsealed new charges Wednesday against two California women accuse of joining the mob at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, including one who allegedly carried a “short sword” into the building.

Kennedy Lindsey and Danielle Lacy were arrested last week in Los Angeles on the standard misdemeanor charges used in Jan. 6 cases. Lindsey faces enhanced, felony versions of two of the charges as well as an additional charge, also a felony, for allegedly carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon into the Capitol.

According to  charging documents, Lindsey and Lacy decided to travel to D.C. on Jan. 6 after former President Donald Trump sent his infamous “will be wild” tweet inviting supporters to the Capitol for a “big protest.”

“Boss man called for us to be there so that’s why I’m going on the 6th,” Lindsey wrote in a message on Twitter, now X.

The women attended the speeches at the Ellipse and then traveled to the Capitol on a golf cart while recording videos about the mob that was then beginning to overrun police.

“The Capitol Building is being stormed as we speak,” Lindsey said one of the of videos, according to investigators. “We’re on our way there.”

In another video, Lindsey reportedly said, “Everyone is storming the building, folks… We must do this as Patriots. It says so in the Constitution.” In the video, according to investigators, Lindsey can be seen wearing a blue plate carrier vest.

The women eventually entered the building through the Senate Wing Door at approximately 3:30 p.m. They exited approximately six minutes later, but remained on Capitol grounds for at least two more hours. While there, Lindsey recorded another video in which she can reportedly be heard saying, “People are getting shot with tear gas, a girl died…. The tree of liberty is fed with what, people? Blood.”

At approximately 5:25 p.m., while still on Capitol grounds, Lindsey was approached by a U.S. Secret Service officer who observed a weapon strapped to her leg. According to charging documents, Lindsey described the weapon to the officer as a “short sword.” A photograph of the weapon included in an affidavit shows a large, knife with a curved blade and the letters “CRKT” emblazoned on it that appears to match a kukri sold by a knife retailer of the same name.

Lindsey reportedly informed the officer she was carrying other weapons as well. According to charging documents, a search of her backpack turned up a steel tactical whip, a collapsible baton, pepper spray, a butterfly knife and a flashlight stun device.

During an interview with the FBI in March 2021, Lindsey reportedly said she’d left her backpack at her hotel during the speeches at the Ellipse because she knew she couldn’t have them there. She said she’d grabbed the backpack afterward, but denied having them with her in the Capitol.

Lindsey and Lacy were ordered to make an initial appearance before a magistrate judge in D.C. by Zoom on Thursday.