Trump-pardoned Capitol rioter who once said politicians would be “dragged through the streets” arrested again after disturbing incident in Texas

Texas – A former Jan. 6 rioter who received a pardon from President Donald Trump has been arrested again in Texas after authorities say he threatened a man during a confrontation outside a church.

Ryan Nichols, a 36-year-old former Marine who became widely known after livestreaming himself during the Capitol riot in 2021, now faces a deadly conduct charge following an incident in Texas earlier this month. Investigators say the confrontation unfolded in a church parking lot in Harrison County, and left the alleged victim fearing for his life.

According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded on May 10 to reports involving a dispute where someone allegedly reached for a firearm outside the church. During the investigation, deputies learned Nichols had confronted another man in the parking lot and allegedly continued escalating the situation even as the man tried to walk away with his family.

Authorities said the victim attempted to avoid conflict by guiding his family toward their vehicle while asking Nichols to leave the area. Instead, investigators say Nichols continued approaching him. The sheriff’s office stated that after the victim finally turned back toward Nichols, Nichols allegedly lifted his shirt to reveal a firearm and placed his hand on the weapon.

The victim later told deputies he feared he was about to be seriously harmed. Ryan Nichols was ultimately arrested for allegedly displaying a firearm “in a threatening manner causing the victim to be in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.”

Sheriff details confrontation outside church

Harrison County Sheriff B.J. Fletcher later described additional details of the encounter during comments to a local East Texas news station. “At one point, the guy had finished putting his kid in the backseat…Ryan Nichols took a step back, apparently, pulled his shirt up and… displayed his weapon and then grabbed his weapon,” Fletcher explained.

The sheriff said the alleged victim was unarmed and holding a Bible during the confrontation. According to Fletcher, a bystander eventually stepped in and helped calm the situation before it became even worse. Still, the sheriff made clear investigators believed Nichols crossed the line. Fletcher said Nichols had done “more than enough” to face the deadly conduct charge.

The arrest has drawn attention because Nichols was among more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants pardoned by Trump at the beginning of his second administration. Nichols had previously pleaded guilty over his actions connected to the Capitol riot and had been sentenced to more than five years in prison before receiving the pardon.

During the Jan. 6 attack, Nichols became one of the more recognizable rioters after broadcasting himself live while making violent threats against political leaders. “I’m telling you if Pence caved, we’re gonna drag motherf—–s through the streets. You f—–g politicians are going to get f—–g drug through the streets,” Nichols said during the livestream. He also declared that he planned to “bring violence” to the Capitol. Those statements later became central to the federal case against him.

Another re-arrest after Trump pardons

Nichols’ new arrest adds to a growing list of Jan. 6 rioters who have faced additional criminal accusations after receiving pardons.

He is now reportedly the fifth pardoned Capitol rioter to be arrested again on unrelated charges. Another recent case involved Christopher Moynihan, who was arrested after allegedly threatening House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Before this latest arrest, Nichols had also briefly attempted to launch a congressional campaign last year. However, the effort collapsed almost immediately, and he withdrew from the race just two days after announcing it.

The newest allegations now place him back in the center of controversy, this time far away from Washington and inside a quiet Texas church parking lot. What began as a local dispute has quickly become part of a much larger national conversation surrounding Jan. 6 defendants, presidential pardons, and whether some of the people released early have continued displaying troubling behavior after leaving prison.

For critics of the pardons, Nichols’ arrest will likely become another example raised in that debate. For supporters, the case remains separate from the political arguments surrounding Jan. 6 itself. But for the man involved in the church parking lot confrontation, investigators say the moment felt very real — and potentially deadly.