FBI says anonymous tip led them to Kankakee County man charged in January 6th riot

CHICAGO (WLS) -- On January 6, 2021, FBI agents say Quinn Keen texted an acquaintance that he got in the Capitol. That text and others, social media photos and videos are the basis for federal felony charges against Keen. T

he Kankakee County man is the latest among more than three dozen people from Illinois facing charges from the January 6 takeover of the U.S. Capitol. The lengthy timeline of this investigation, and Keen's arrest, reveal how pressed authorities appear to be as the number of cases nears 1,000.

As fists and feet flew in front of the U.S. Capitol that day, so too did a metal water bottle shown airborne in an FBI-obtained video. A man in a tan jacket is seen launching the bottle like an outfielder trying to take down a baserunner.

He is 35 year old Quinn Keen, according to investigators, described by them as a resident of his car.

A series of photos and stop-action screen grabs in court records allegedly show Keen attacking Capitol police and Metro D.C. patrol officers; scenes of violent encounters along the skirmish line on Capitol Hill that fateful day.

Investigators say security cam pictures show him moving into the building itself, with crowds that had busted through doors and broken out windows.

As tear gas wafted through the halls of power, he's seen behind a news reporter covering his mouth and raising a cell phone overhead, according to investigators.

Finally, inside the famous and historic Capitol Rotunda, authorities say video footage shows him smoking what a police officer refers to as a "joint."

Some of the pictures led to an anonymous tip to the FBI six months after the Capitol riot. It took another six months for the FBI to contact witnesses, and more than a year for Keen to be arrested in Chicago.

Keen is free on a signature bond. His arraignment will be held May 30 in D.C. federal court. He is the latest of 37 people from Illinois charged in the January 6 takeover of the U.S. Capitol. Many have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced.