TAMPA, Fla. — Another Florida resident faces multiple federal charges for her alleged role in the attack on the United States Capitol building on January 6. Federal agents arrested Audrey Ann Southard-Rumsey, 52, of Spring Hill, and charged her with multiple counts including obstruction of justice/Congress, assault on a federal officer or employee, and others.
According to the federal arrest complaint, the FBI received a tip via it’s submission portal on January 12 that said Southard-Rumsey was in the Capitol Building on January 6 and submitted social media postings allegedly made, and later deleted, by Southard-Rumsey showing her at the Capitol. The FBI said it interviewed an associate of Southard-Rumsey who confirmed they were in DC at the time of the attack.
Federal agents said they also reviewed video clips from inside the Capitol Building and found Southard-Rumsey present in numerous places. The federal complaint said Southard-Rumsey was captured on video entering the Capitol through the Rotunda Door at 2:26 p.m. Agents said she then headed to Statuary Hall and placed an item at the base of the George Washington Statute in the Rotunda.
The FBI said surveillance video showed Southard-Rumsey heading to the Statuary Hall Connector and taking off her jacket. From there, federal agents said surveillance video showed Southard-Rumsey standing in front of a United States Capitol Police Sergeant and other officers near the doors leading onto the House floor.
The video then allegedly showed Southard-Rumsey yelling at the officers, saying, “Tell Pelosi we are coming for that bitch.” “You ready, you ready.” “There’s a hundred thousand of us, what’s it going to be?” “Last friend, last bullet. What’s it going to be?” Federal agents also said the video showed her yelling at other rioters, “Alright, push in here,” and “You ready to go again?”
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Federal agents interviewed the sergeant who identified Southard-Rumsey as one of the main agitators that were standing in front of him. The sergeant said Southard-Rumsey picked up a flagpole and held it against his chest and when another agitator said, “Let’s Go,” she used it to push him back through the doors of the House floor and into a marble statue of Lafayette. Agents said this was also captured on surveillance video.
The federal complaint said agents used data from Southard-Rumsey’s phone to place her in the Capitol, along with the surveillance video. Google location data placed Southard-Rumsey into the Capitol from 2:21 p.m. until 3:36 p.m., the arrest document said.
Southard-Rumsey’s full list of charges includes:
- Assault on a federal officer or employee
- Obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder
- Obstruction of Justice/Congress
- Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority
- Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
- Knowingly engages in any act of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building or ground
- Disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building
- Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building
- Engaging in an act of physical violence in the grounds or any of the Capitol Buildings
Read the arrest complaint:
Southard Rumsey Arrest Complaint by ABC Action News on Scribd
