WA Proud Boys member charged in connection to Capitol riots has Puget Sound ties
A Washington state Proud Boys member charged and arrested Wednesday in connection to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots has Puget Sound ties.
“Ethan Nordean, aka Rufio Panman, 30, of Washington state, was charged by criminal complaint in federal court in the District of Columbia with obstructing or impeding an official proceeding, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; aiding and abetting, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and knowingly entering or remaining in restricted building or grounds and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, which each carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
He had his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.
A public records search of Nordean’s name turned up addresses east of Auburn, and a recent New York Times article reported that Nordean was from Auburn.
The Proud Boys is a far-right extremist group that was designated a terrorist entity Wednesday by Canada.
“According to charging documents, Nordean is the self-described ‘Sergeant of Arms’ of the Seattle Chapter of the Proud Boys, a group self-described as a ‘pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists,’” the press release said.
“It is alleged that Nordean was observed marching at the front of a group of known Proud Boys shortly before the riot began. It is further alleged that Nordean was among those who entered the U.S. Capitol building after rioters, including certain persons associated with the Proud Boys, forced entry into the Capitol by means of destruction of Federal property. It is also alleged that Nordean was near the front of the crowd of rioters, who collectively approached, confronted, and vastly outnumbered Capitol Police.”
Mike Nordean, Nordean’s father, is owner of Wally’s Restaurants, which has locations in Buckley and Des Moines.
A statement from Mike Nordean on the company’s website Wednesday said: “My son, Ethan, was arrested on February 3rd for his involvement in the Capitol siege. We have tried for a long while to get our son off the path which led to his arrest today — to no avail. Ethan will be held accountable for his actions. I want to thank our customers for their continued grace and support. We appreciate it more than you know. I also want to thank all of the employees of Wally’s Restaurants for the care and respect they give our customers — and each other.”
A 2018 Guardian article reported that Ethan Nordean had joined right-wing rallies in Seattle and Portland, and that video showed him punching a baton-wielding counter-protester at a Portland rally that year, after which he was dubbed Proud Boy of the week. Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes interviewed him on his show, as did conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, the Guardian reported.
The newspaper reported that Jones asked him: “How good did it feel, at least later, when you saw his head hit the pavement?” Nordean replied: “Like Gavin McInnes says, violence isn’t great, but justified violence is amazing.”
The New York Times article said Ethan Nordean was a Proud Boy organizer and appeared in “a YouTube video on the day of Mr. Trump’s rally and can be seen shouting orders to a group of Proud Boys through a bullhorn.”
The allegations in the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release supported that.
“Prior to Jan. 6, 2021, Nordean posted on social media certain indications of an intent to organize a group that intended to engage in conflict,” the release said. “For example, around Dec. 27, 2020, Nordean posted a message asking for donations of ‘protective gear’ and ‘communications equipment.’ On Jan. 4, 2021, Nordean posted a video on social media, which he captioned, ‘Let them remember the day they decided to make war with us.’”
In an hour-long video he posted, Nordean spoke with another Proud Boys member and made baseless accusations about voter fraud “and went on to say that, rather than being complacent, the Proud Boys were going to ‘bring back that original spirit of 1776 of what really established the character of what America is. And it’s not complacency, it’s not low standards. It’s ‘this is how it’s going to be, and I don’t give a god damn,’” the press release said.
The video goes on to show Nordean say: “Democracy is dead? Well, then no peace for you. No democracy, no peace,” the release said.
On Jan. 5 Nordean said on social media: “It is apparent now more than ever, that if you are a patriot, you will be targeted and they will come after you, funny thing is that they don’t realize is, is we are coming for them. You’ve chosen your side, black and yellow teamed with red, white and blue against everyone else,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office release.
It was two days after the riot that he posted a photo of a Capitol police officer using pepper spray at the riots, the release said. “if you feel bad for the police, you are part of the problem. . .,” the caption said.
The Capitol Police officers’ union has said about 140 officers were injured in the Jan. 6 attack.
Investigators continue to look for information, including images, about the attack on the Capitol and people who promoted violence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms tip line is FBI 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or ATFTips@atf.gov. Anonymous information can be sent at ReportIt.com.
The FBI tipline is 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 2:26 PM.
