Andrew Taake, a Texas man involved in the January 6th Capitol riot, was pardoned by President Trump after serving part of his sentence for assaulting police officers with a metal whip and bear spray. However, Taake may soon face additional legal issues. He had been on pretrial release for a 2016 charge of online solicitation of a minor, and now that his federal case has concluded, state prosecutors have reopened the solicitation case. An arrest warrant has been issued for Taake, and he remains at large.
The 2016 case involved Taake engaging in explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl. Taake attempted to meet up with the girl, and he faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Although he was pardoned for his role in the Capitol riot, this new charge could lead to his re-arrest and prosecution.
Taake’s involvement in the January 6th riot made headlines in part because he was identified after being turned in by a woman he met on the dating app Bumble. During the riot, Taake was armed with bear spray and a metal whip, which he used to attack officers trying to hold the line. He also threw a water bottle at the police before scaling a wall and entering the Capitol through the Senate Wing Door. Once inside, he wandered around the building for about 20 minutes, still holding his metal whip. His actions were captured in court filings, which described his violent behavior toward law enforcement.
A witness who had been messaging Taake on Bumble while he was in Washington, D.C., alerted the FBI to his involvement in the riot. Taake, who portrayed himself as an innocent bystander, claimed he was subjected to pepper spray, tear gas, and flashbangs while merely standing at the Capitol. He sent a picture of himself with a scarf covering his face, taken about 30 minutes after he had been sprayed, to the witness, insisting he was the first person sprayed that day.
Taake’s criminal history also includes a 2008 conviction for driving under the influence and causing a car crash that seriously injured another person. At the time of the Capitol riot, Taake was already a felon, which barred him from possessing firearms. However, when the FBI arrested him, they discovered three loaded guns at his residence.
After pleading guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon, Taake was sentenced to over six years in prison. His sentence was later commuted by President Trump, who pardoned Taake along with over 1,500 other individuals involved in the January 6th riot. Despite the pardon, Taake’s legal troubles are far from over.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office had previously requested that the federal Bureau of Prisons place a hold on Taake once he completed his federal sentence, in order to address the pending state charges. On January 15, a certified warrant for Taake’s arrest was sent to the Bureau of Prisons. However, following Trump’s pardon on January 20, Taake was released from federal custody. This has led to renewed efforts by state authorities to track him down and bring him back to face the charges related to the solicitation of a minor.
Prosecutors have emphasized that Taake has shown no remorse for his actions. Even after pleading guilty to his role in the Capitol riot, he continued to shift blame for his actions, claiming that he and other rioters were heroes who had been wrongfully persecuted. He has also been involved in violent incidents while in custody, reportedly using violence against other inmates as a way to cope with his situation.
Taake’s case has drawn attention not only because of his violent actions during the Capitol riot but also due to his history of criminal behavior and the serious charges he now faces in connection with the solicitation of a minor. As state prosecutors continue their efforts to apprehend him, the outcome of his legal battles remains uncertain. If convicted of the solicitation charge, Taake could face an additional decade in prison, further complicating his already troubled legal situation.
