A Texas teen tipped off the FBI about his father’s role in the US Capitol riot, fearing for his life and his family members’ lives if he remained silent.
Jackson Reffitt, an 18-year-old from Wylie, provided the FBI with information that helped lead to the arrest of his father Guy Reffitt, who was caught on camera storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a report from FOX 4. (RELATED: 18-Year-Old Exposes Her Parents On Twitter For Attending Capitol Riots)
“Yes, I would do it again,” 18-year old Jackson Reffitt told @FOX4 after he tipped the @FBI to his father who, reportedly, took part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Jan. 6. “If you have any experiences about this, please speak up about it,” he pleaded toward others. pic.twitter.com/kPLliqinq2
— David Sentendrey (@DavidSFOX4) January 25, 2021
“It was my moral compass, kind of, to do what I thought would protect not only my family but my dad himself,” he told the outlet. “And it wasn’t just because I think my dad is aggressive, I think what he’s been manipulated into thinking is aggressive.”
Jackson told the FBI his father told him and his sister, “If you turn me in, you’re a traitor and you know what happens to traitors…traitors get shot,” according to an affidavit from the FBI.
Court documents show still frames from footage featured on Fox News at Night with anchor Shannon Bream that show Guy wearing a blue jacket over what seems to be a black padded or tactical style vest, with a black helmet on his head with a Go-Pro-style camera attached. He was seen flushing his eyes with a water bottle and agents believe this was due to his exposure to tear gas.
Jackson told the local TV station that he has no regrets about turning in his dad and he says he would do it again. He added that while he hasn’t been able to speak to his father since the arrest if he could talk to him, he would apologize.
“I would say I’m sorry, because I don’t feel like I put him in this situation, but I still feel guilty,” Jackson told FOX 4.
The teen said told the outlet his father was a part of a far-right militia group and his views had become radicalized over the years.
Agents executed a search warrant of the man’s home on Jan. 16 and found an AR-15-style rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol, the court papers stated.
Guy told the agents that while he did enter the restricted area of the Capitol, he had no intention to enter the building, according to the affidavit. He was charged with obstruction of justice and unlawful entry.