An apologetic rioter had a moment during a Jan. 6 hearing. How should we feel about that?
Experts see room to forgive rioters like Stephen Ayres. For others, his role in a large-scale attack on the U.S. government shouldn’t be forgotten.
- Stephen Ayres, pleaded guilty to one count related to Jan. 6. He’ll be sentenced in September.
- He’s the only charged rioter to testify live in front of the Jan. 6 committee.
- Ayres apologized to officers affected by the attack. “You can’t remove his culpability,” one said.
WARREN, Ohio – Stephen Ayres was deep into online conspiracy theories by the time he joined a mob that marched through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Sporting a white-and-black hat, he recorded the scene that he would later tell online followers was evidence of the debunked theory that the event was planned by the left.