Capitol rioter looked, talked and marched like a Proud Boy – but after his arrest, he’s not so proud

Micajah Joel Jackson, a boisterous social-media poster, was photographed marching with a top Proud Boy leader and wearing the group's orange colors inside the Capitol on January 6. But after being confronted by the FBI, his disposition apparently changed.

Jackson self-surrendered Tuesday in Phoenix and faces unlawful entry and disorderly conduct charges in connection with the breaching of the Capitol, according to the Department of Justice. The FBI criminal complaint goes to unusual length to document what agents believe are Jackson's connections with the Proud Boys, which he denies.

"On January 6, the defendant was seen on many occasions and at many different times with the Proud Boys," the report states. It displayed a photo in which Jackson was walking with the group, not far from its organizer Joe Biggs while displaying a bright orange armband -- the group's colors that day.

The group was chanting "WHOSE STREETS? OUR STREETS!" the report states.

Jackson told FBI agents he was given the armband by the Proud Boys on January 6 but that "he did not and was not associated with the Proud Boys before then" and that he was only with the group because he had traveled to Washington D.C. alone and "wanted to meet up with other people from Arizona."

The FBI complaint displayed multiple social-media posts from Jackson prior to the insurrection and cites Proud Boy-related hashtags displayed on them. The charging agent states the information is included "because while the defendant has repeatedly claimed not to be affiliated with any Proud Boys, there is evidence through his social-media connections that contradicts his claims."

The information included in the report does chronicle a rather dramatic change in tone on the part of Jackson. A December 11 post to one of Jackson's Instagram accounts depicts George Washington crossing the Delaware with the words, "AMERICANS. Willing to cross a frozen river to kill you. In your sleep. On Christmas. Totally not kidding. We've done it."

And there was this response to a Donald Trump tweet that day which proclaimed, "WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT!":

"You tell us when Sir. You are the commander in Chief. WE WILL NOT CONCEDE. The Alt-Left will not reign a crony Democracy. WE ARE A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC."

More recently, however, Jackson has taken on a decidedly humbler public tone. The report states that one of Jackson's Instagram is called @thejfkreport and it includes posts like this:

"@thejfkreport is being politically persecuted for simply being at Jan 6^th. While BLM gets away with everything and while we have open borders and lawlessness all over. #AbolishtheFBI #BigTechCensorShip #NovIIIStolen."

In another Jackson claims the FBI "is taking me to Florence once charges pend. That's 90 minutes from where I live. Florence is the roughest jail in the U.S."

And there's this excerpt from a recent post, according to the FBI:

"I have all the evidence of BLM, Antifa, DC Cops, and non-Trump extremist (sic) causing the mayhem. I am 100% disabled from my time in the Marine Corps. I am not an extremist nor a violent person. I'm a devoted Lutheran and in college to be a PoliSci professor. My only love is the United States of America. This is my story. I ask for all of you to share my story to bring light on the political persecution that many other Trump supporters are getting. This only is the beginning phase."

You can read the FBI report here.