KANKAKEE, IL – Quinn Keen, a 35-year-old resident of Kankakee County, has been charged with federal felonies related to the January 6, 2021 takeover of the U.S. Capitol. FBI agents have cited text messages, social media posts, and videos as evidence against Keen, who is among more than three dozen individuals from Illinois facing charges in connection with the incident.
According to investigators, Keen can be seen in a video launching a metal water bottle in the direction of law enforcement officers, demonstrating his active participation in the violence that unfolded that day. Photos and screen grabs from court records allegedly show him engaging in physical altercations with Capitol police and Metro D.C. patrol officers.
Further evidence places Keen inside the Capitol building, where he joined the crowds that had forcibly entered the premises by breaking doors and windows. In one instance, he is seen behind a news reporter, covering his mouth and raising a cell phone above his head amidst the chaos.
Authorities claim to possess video footage showing Keen smoking what a police officer referred to as a “joint” while inside the historic Capitol Rotunda. These images, along with others, led to an anonymous tip to the FBI six months after the riot. However, it took a year and six months for Keen to be arrested in Chicago.
Keen, currently out on a signature bond, is scheduled for arraignment on May 30 in a federal court in D.C. He is the latest among 37 individuals from Illinois to face charges related to the January 6 Capitol takeover. Many of the defendants have already entered guilty pleas and received sentencing.
The extensive timeline of this investigation and Keen’s subsequent arrest shed light on the significant efforts by authorities as the number of cases related to the Capitol riot nears 1,000. With evidence from various sources, including social media and surveillance cameras, law enforcement agencies are determined to hold individuals accountable for their actions during that fateful day.
