Jonathan Drake
- A former Marine arrested for his role in the Capitol riot had previously been hailed a hero and had appeared on Ellen.
- A video of him saving six dogs after Hurricane Florence went viral in 2018.
- Ryan Nichols, 30, from Longview, Texas, was arrested on January 18 on seven charges.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A former Marine arrested for his role in the Capitol riot had previously appeared on Ellen for rescuing dogs left behind after a hurricane devastated North Carolina.
The viral video showed Ryan Nichols, 30, from Longview, Texas, saving six dogs from a flooded kennel in Leland, North Carolina, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in September 2018.
Freelance reporter Marcus J. DiPaola tweeted the video which got 9.2 million views.
—Marcus J. DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) September 16, 2018
Nichols had driven 18 hours to Leland, North Carolina, to help fellow Marine, David Rebollar assist people to safety, Daily Kos reported, and said he helped rescue 25 people and 10 animals in four days.
At the time, he told NBC News that his own home and business had been flooded during Hurricane Harvey the previous year and that he and a friend had supported the community.
When he appeared on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show,' the former real estate agent was gifted a $25,000 donation to the Humane Society. Nichols and Rebollar were also given trips to Hawaii with their wives and families since neither had been able to have a honeymoon because of Hurricane Harvey, Daily Kos added.
From hurricane hero to insurrection rioter
According to court documents, Nichols was caught pepper-spraying a law enforcement official on camera as well as using a bullhorn to encourage others to use their weapons against the authorities, during the ransacking of the Capitol.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
They also detailed his seemingly now-deleted Facebook posts, which featured photos of him with his friend, Alex Kirk Harkrider, 33.
The first read: "We're in" with two US flag emojis and the second read: "In front of Nancy Pelosi's smashed office at the Capital building. We ain't done yet! We just got started!" with another US flag emoji. It was later updated with: "apparently this wasn't Nancys office. Guess that was around the other side of the building."
There is also a screenshot of a Harkrider's Snapchat, which read: "We're in. 2 people killed already. We need all the patriots of this country to rally the f--- up and fight for our freedom or it's gone forever. Give us liberty, or give us death. We don't stand for it."
The social media posts were turned over to the FBI by two witnesses, a criminal complaint obtained by NBC News indicated.
Ryan Nichols was arrested on January 18 on seven charges, including conspiracy and unlawful entry with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and assault on a federal officer.
According to jail records, he is currently being held at the Smith County Jail in Tyler, Texas, while Alex Kirk Harkrider was also arrested that day and booked into the Gregg County Jail, records show.