#New Jersey man arrested at Capitol called the siege ‘stupid’

A New Jersey man who was among the dozens arrested at the Capitol last Wednesday said the violent turn of events was “stupid,” a report said.

Leonard Guthrie Jr., a Middle Township resident, admitted to several media outlets that he crossed a police line outside of the Capitol in an act of civil disobedience, but said he was not part of the building breach.

Guthrie, a self-described street preacher, told NJ.com that he went to the nation’s capital to “pray for honesty and integrity.”

Speaking with The Press of Atlantic City, Guthrie told the newspaper, “This wasn’t about going in and destroying the building. It had nothing to do with that.”

Guthrie was arrested at about 1:50 p.m. and noted that his bust came after a pro-Trump mob forcefully overtook the Capitol building.

“I have nothing to say about that other than they shouldn’t have done that. That was wrong. That was stupid,” Guthrie told The Press of Atlantic City of the siege.

Guthrie, who was charged with unlawful entry, said he was inside a holding cell for hours as chaos ensued in the building, with lawmakers in lockdown and vandals wreaking havoc inside unoccupied offices.

The Capitol mayhem led to the death of five people, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt.