VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS PT.II
This story was first published in AT EASE! Veterans Magazine Summer 2022.
Written by: Christine Walker
The Public Court of Opinion is a powerful thing! And when it comes to anything to do with the Capital breach on January 6, 2021, that same public court of opinion has tried, convicted, and sentenced anyone and everyone present on the Capital grounds that day.
The public court of opinion says, “They should’ve known better, it’s their own fault. Guilt or innocence doesn’t matter, just keep ‘em locked up and throw away the key for their evil and egregious deed of being present that day.” Does that seem a bit harsh? Of course, it does, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s the base sentiment behind popular talking points.
Perhaps it’s naïveté’ or having grown up in an era genuinely believing in “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” But I believe prudence, wisdom, and truth should be the prevailing benchmark when it comes to all things concerning January 6th.
This magazine has been built to give a voice to all Veterans. We have a motto in the Veteran community: We’ve got your six.” That means we will never leave a brother or sister behind. Period! And that goes for our Veteran brothers and sisters in pre-trial detention who have yet to be convicted of a crime by a jury of their peers in a Court of Law.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”
On January 4th, 2021, Kenneth Harrelson, a disabled Army Veteran, received a call from an associate asking if he would be able to drive up to DC and take over the security detail for another man who was unable to attend. Kenneth is an Oath Keeper, and they were headed to Washington DC to stand guard for the multiple speakers during, what was supposed to be, peaceful protests planned on January 5th & 6th.
That decision would change the life of Kenneth and his family.
Kenneth & Angel Harrelson on their Wedding Day in 2009.
Kenneth grew up in Georgia, on land that his family had owned for generations. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman, so it was a natural progression that he would join the Army. Kenneth, by all accounts, is just your typical red-blooded American who loves God, Family & Country. He met his wife, Angel, while on Active duty and they married in 2009. She grew up in Louisiana, a true Ragin Cajun, growing up hunting ‘gators’ and deer with her dad. They are both ‘country’ folk, but before we cue the music to ‘Deliverance,’ Angel jokes that she is the palest one on her side of the family and racism in the Harrelson household just isn’t tolerated.
Kenneth was medically discharged from the Army after a series of back and shoulder surgeries for an injury he sustained during a training exercise just weeks before he was set to be deployed to Iraq.
However, like many Veterans, Kenneth took his oath to the Constitution seriously, but he has absolutely no interest in politics. In fact, according to his wife, they are as apolitical as they come, nor are they affiliated with any party.
So, Kenneth’s motivation in driving up to DC that day had zero to do with being an active participant, protesting the election outcome, and everything to do with being a set of eyes as a part of an independent security detail.
According to Angel, Kenneth arrived the morning of January 5th and the whole day was without incident. The same holds true on the morning of January 6th. It wasn’t until the throngs of thousands of people started walking to the Capital that things seemed to go sideways pretty damn quick.
The Oath Keepers were asked by a Capital Police Officer to help rescue his fellow officers inside the Capital itself. Kenneth and a few other oath keepers went to the East side of the Capital and that’s when they physically caught up with the crowd moving towards the steps and the Columbus Door. Once on the steps, there was nowhere to go. People were being pushed from behind, and then Kenneth noticed a Capital Police officer in the mix and made it his mission to try to protect this officer from the crowd. Unbeknownst to him at the time, protestors who had entered through the West side of the Capital, were making a beeline to the Columbus Door to unlock it. Once the door was open, one of the protestors was physically manhandling people and pulling them inside, all the while they continued being pushed from behind.
Kenneth returned home to Florida, but on March 10, 2021, Kenneth was on a ladder, cleaning the gutters on his home when, according to Angel, about 15 cars with Federal agents raced up in front of their home. Guns were drawn, they ordered Kenneth off the ladder and placed him in handcuffs. Angel had just started a new remote job and was on a call when she heard the knock.
“They knocked on the door. I actually have it on my ring video of them coming to the door with Ken in handcuffs, there was a guy behind him with his rifle pointing towards the door. When I opened it, they wanted to come in and I asked them for a warrant. [The agent] didn’t have a warrant on him. I was like, well, I want to see the warrant first,” Angel remembers.
Somehow, the agents physically swapped places with Angel, while not hurting her or Kenneth at all, they were now in their home. After six hours of searching their home, taking pictures of Angel’s books on homesteading, outdoor survival, and even the ‘Art of War’, they turned their attention to the airsoft guns used by their son for his ROTC program and training. There was one legally registered firearm, which they did not take into evidence and left open and on the floor.
It was only after their home was searched that the agent handed Angel the search warrant as they left to take Kenneth to the county jail. The next day, they transferred him to Seminole County jail, where US Marshals took custody of him. On March 12th, Kenneth went before a Federal Judge and was denied bail. Within just a few weeks, Kenneth was transferred to Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia. It was at this time his health was in serious decline. Kenneth’s blood pressure was through the roof, he was having chest pains and coughing up blood.
Tearing up, Angel said, “They decided they would take him to medical, but they really just locked him in the ‘hole.’ He ended up staying there for 10 days. No medical help. No nothing. They [also] cut his food in half. It was just it was a lot for those 10 days. It was horrible, you know. No communication with me and I literally put it out there for everyone to call because I wanted to know if my husband was OK. If he was still alive. So finally, there was a nice guard that brought him a phone, and he was able to contact me.”
In June, Kenneth was then transferred to the DC Jail. Initially, he was assigned to General Population, and as a J6 defendant, wore the scarlet letter ‘R’ as a supposed racist. Things could have gone unbelievably bad for him, but thanks to Kenneth’s amenable and friendly demeanor, he was able to find some common ground with the other inmates.
Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to the ‘Patriot Pod’ with the other J6 defendants.
Kenneth’s attorney, Brad Geyer, was a Federal Prosecutor for 21 years who also served in Iraq as a DOJ Federal Prosecutor detailed to the FBI to oversee the War Zone Fraud program. Ken is charged with Seditious Conspiracy, Tampering with Witness, Victim, or An Informant: Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting & Tampering with Documents or Proceedings; Conspiracy to Prevent an Officer from Discharging Any Duties and finally, Destruction of Government Property and Aiding and Abetting.
Even looking through the eyes of a Federal Prosecutor, Geyer states, “In 30 years in the business, I have never seen a situation [like this]. I am totally convinced that my client is innocent by fact and by law!”
The challenge that Geyer and other attorneys like him face, is that instead of the prosecution providing the burden of proof of a defendant’s guilt, these defense attorneys are having to prove their client’s innocence. Exculpatory evidence is continually being denied or delayed by the ‘Powers that Be’, and with over 14,000 hours of video and surveillance footage to weed through, Geyer has had to file an extension to Kenneth’s trial, which was supposed to begin in July.
“Defense attorneys wrote that a trial delay is necessary due to massive publicity surrounding the work of the U.S. House select committee investigating January 6. The committee has held hearings and taken testimony since July 2021. It has not issued a report. Attorneys said publicity surrounding the committee’s work could make it impossible for the Oath Keepers to receive a fair trial.” An article by the Epoch Times stated.
The trial is set for the end of September and Kenneth will remain in custody. Meanwhile, Angel continues to keep the home fires burning. There are so many milestones that Ken is missing, like his son graduating with honors in May and then entering Army basic in June. It’s bittersweet for Angel, “Ken should be here.” And when asked how they are doing as a couple, she said, “We’re solid! I’m not going anywhere and I’m going to keep fighting for him!”