'Suspicious—and amusing' Google searches led to this Jan. 6 rioter’s arrest: 'Boy that escalated quickly'

Matthew Lawrence Stickney — who has been charged with "disorderly and disruptive conduct inside the" US Capitol —allegedly Google searched several phrases on January 6, 2021, which all "came back to haunt him" when he was arrested earlier this month, The Daily Beast reports.

Per the report, "The federal government amassed a trove of evidence that allegedly links Stickney to the riot, using surveillance footage, flight records, phone location data, and the search history from his Google account."

Some of the "suspicious—and amusing" phrases Stickney used, according to the Beast, include "can i carry a knife on a plane," "how do i take my gun with me on a flight," "weed legal in d.c.," as well as "hands burning from pepper spray." Four days after the attack, the warrant notes he searched "us capitol."

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Additionally, the Beast notes, At 4:12 pm that day — during the attack — he searched "boy that escalated quickly," which the news outlet reports an FBI Special Agent indicated in the warrant, "'Boy, that escalated quickly' is a reference from the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy to a fight that got out of hand, resulting in serious injury and death to some participants."

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The Daily Beast's full report is here (subscription required).