Central Texas man testifies in Jan. 6th case

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Christopher Grider took the stand in his own defense Wednesday.

The Texan is facing a series of federal charges related to violence and disorderly conduct in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, along with obstructing an official proceeding for disrupting the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Grider testified that he did not come to Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 intending to be violent, but instead, he was worried that he and a friend would fall victim to ANTIFA and anti-Trump protestors. He explained that’s why he tried to find information about the Proud Boys in D.C., he said he believed they may offer protection for the former president’s rally on the National Mall.

Grider said he and a friend arrived late on January 6th and watched former President Donald Trump’s speech on their phone while in a cab. He said by the time they arrived in D.C. the crowd had moved to the Capitol, so he joined there thinking it was the continuation of the organized rally by the White House because he heard Trump say during the speech that they were moving down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol.

At one point, the federal judge overseeing the case ordered a break because Grider became emotional on the stand while answering questions from his lawyer about what led him to support former President Trump.

Grider has not yet faced questions from prosecutors. This is a bench trial, meaning the federal judge overseeing the case will decided whether Grider is innocent or guilty of any of the charges against him. His testimony will continue on Thursday.

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