WASHINGTON -- Months before he was photographed sitting at a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, a weapon-toting Richard Barnett was videotaped denouncing "government officials" and the "New World Order," saying it was time to "take this snake off at the head."
"We're beyond Democrat versus Republican. We are actually [at] the point of freedom and good versus evil," the Northwest Arkansas man told a videographer during an interview at the Oct. 7 Patriots, God & Country rally in Bella Vista. "This is not just United States. This is worldwide. This is New World Order. We've got to get a grip on it. They're destroying the nuclear family.
"We've got what should be actually labeled as domestic terrorist groups running all over our country destroying America. I mean literally destroying it for nothing. There's no communication, just a bunch of screaming. The silent majority has been silent long enough, and we're standing up," he said.
With an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle in his right hand and another firearm on his hip, he addressed not only the nation's ills but also the camera angle, concerned that it might not be capturing the image of the rifle.
"I don't know if he's panned out to show you what I'm carrying right now, but I'm not playing," Barnett, 60, said, weapon in hand. "It's time for us to stand up. This is our country. This is the last bastion of freedom in the world. When this is gone, it's over, people."
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UwqNyHtGDk]
Kevin Dooley, a videographer and photographer from Bella Vista, interviewed Barnett at the Oct. 7 rally and agreed to give the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette access to the recording.
"I had never met Mr. Barnett before then. I haven't seen him since. It was just curiosity on my part about who he was and what he represented," Dooley said.
"I didn't think he was dangerous at all. I just thought he was very passionate, very patriotic, God-fearing, you know, loves his country," Dooley said.
After Jan. 6 and the assault on the U.S. Capitol, "initially I didn't make the connection that this was the same person I had interviewed," Dooley said, referring to Barnett.
Someone else made the connection and told Dooley.
"Obviously, I was flabbergasted," he said.
In the October video, Barnett described himself as a retired firefighter "out of Memphis" and a co-founder of 2A NWA Stand, which describes itself as a "constitutional rights group" and "a place for ALL 2nd Amendment patriots to gather, bond and share."
Lt. Wayne Cooke, a spokesman for the Memphis Fire Department, said Barnett's affiliation with the department appears to have been brief.
"Our training records confirm that Richard did enter and complete the Fire Academy in 1983, however, it does not indicate the length of his employment," Cooke said. "It does not appear that he was with the department for any length of time. No other records can be found."
A supporter of President Donald Trump, Barnett was one of "many" who attended a "Stop the Steal" rally in Bentonville in November, according to a report from KNWA-TV, an NBC-affiliated television station licensed in Rogers.
"Hey, if you don't like it, send somebody after me, but I ain't going down easy," Barnett can be heard on the video telling KNWA reporter Samantha Boyd.
Barnett supported Trump's claims of voter fraud, believing that fraud cost him the election, according to KNWA.
"People are going to vote and finding out somebody already used their vote, and they're not allowed to vote," Barnett told KNWA, referring to absentee voting. "This is insane."
"Protesters say we need more evidence to prove [the election] was trustworthy," Boyd said during the news segment.
[RELATED: Full coverage of elections in Arkansas » arkansasonline.com/elections/]
"Whatever it takes," Barnett told KNWA. "What-EVER it takes," he said a second time, emphasizing "ever."
Despite Trump's claims that he lost the election because of fraud, election officials in multiple states investigated and found nothing that changed the outcome of the election. The Trump campaign also lost dozens of court cases.
On Jan. 6, Barnett -- of Gravette -- is seen in video as part of a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, eventually entering Pelosi's office and kicking his feet up on one of the desks.
The rioters temporarily prevented Congress from counting the electoral votes and certifying President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Biden will be inaugurated today.
After exiting the building, Barnett is seen in video bragged about what he'd done, brandishing a government envelope that he took from Pelosi's office.
Barnett, also known as "Bigo," was arrested soon after returning to Arkansas.
He is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or restricted grounds without lawful authority while carrying a dangerous weapon, a stun gun.
If convicted of that count, he faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
Barnett is also charged with: violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, which carries a penalty of up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine; and theft of public money, property or records, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
A U.S. Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, died after rioters assaulted him at the Capitol. More than 50 law enforcement officials were injured in the insurrection.
When he heard that Barnett might have to post bail, Bella Vista Patriots Chairman Jim Parsons wanted to put up the money. Parsons said he appreciated Barnett for providing security at the Bella Vista rally and one other event where Parsons spoke.
"He's done some pretty good community work and so forth, and been good to children and his family. His neighbors speak well of him, certainly didn't show any signs of violence or anything at our rallies," Parsons said. "He certainly made a mistake in judgment and was wrong in what he did, but who of us have not done something wrong in our life that we regret?"
Chief Magistrate Judge Erin L. Wiedemann nearly placed Barnett under house arrest last week.
But, federal prosecutors requested an emergency stay to prevent his release. Beryl A. Howell, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, granted the stay motion Friday.
On Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., Barnett was released from the Washington County jail into the custody of U.S. marshals.
Cory Thomas, supervisor of the U.S. Marshals Service office in Fayetteville, confirmed that Barnett was en route to the District of Columbia.
In the video from the Oct. 7 event, Barnett said, "These freaking government officials, they work for us. They've gone way too long and way too far thinking that we work for them.
"We need term limits. But before we even need that, we need to clean up our country," he said. "We have got to vote, we have to take this snake off at the head."