BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: 73-Year-Old Pastor and Purple Heart Veteran Arrested For Being at Capitol, His Son Also Arrested in Front of 3-Year-Old Daughter (VIDEOS)

A 73-year-old Purple Heart Vietnam veteran and pastor James Cusick has been arrested at his home in Florida for being at the Capitol on January 6, though he was not involved in any violence or vandalism.

His son Casey, was also arrested in front of his distraught 3-year-old daughter who asked why they were locking her dad’s hands. He is also not accused of any violence or vandalism. Videos of the heartbreaking scene were provided to the Gateway Pundit.

The arrests took place on Thursday morning.

“This morning I saw a sheriff pull up in our driveway with his lights on and there was about four or five other cars with them,” his daughter Staci told the Gateway Pundit. “They came up to our front door and I told my dad to go answer it. As he started towards the door they started banging and banging and saying ‘open up we have a warrant.’ He opened the door and they asked him his name and to step outside.”

Staci explained that the officers saw her standing in the kitchen and demanded that she also go outside. When she got into the front yard she saw them telling her elderly father to turn around and proceeded to handcuff him.

The Cusick family

“They asked me my name and I told them I was his daughter Staci. They said they were not looking for me, but told me to put my hands on the back of the sheriff’s vehicle. My dad asked what it was about and they told him it was because he entered the Capitol building on January 6.”

James Cusick was shocked, she said, to find out what the arrest was about. When he was at the Capitol he was friendly with officers, who directed him to a bathroom. His daughter says that they never told him to leave. He began to defend himself, but the agents and sheriffs reminded him that everything he says can be used against him and to wait until he has a lawyer.

“I asked him if they would take the handcuffs off of him because I was upset seeing my 73-year-old father in handcuffs. They said no,” Staci said.

After a search and some questioning, they took Staci and her father inside and asked him to get the clothing items he wore that day, which he did.

** Those who wish to contribute to the Cusick’ legal battle can do so here:https://secure.winred.com/national-constitutional-law-union/donate

They also asked him to get his passport and told Staci to bring it to court when she goes to pick him up after his arraignment. She was told that he will be tried in the state of Virginia or Washington, DC.

“I told them that my dad is a veteran and he has never ever been in trouble with the law. They told me that they understand that, but ‘he did break the law,'” she said. “I told them my dad is opposed to any type of vandalism and that he never even saw any when he was there. When he was standing there in the Capitol, the police or guards, not sure which they were, were talking to him and being kind. They showed him where the bathrooms were. Nobody was telling them to get out. There was never any type of warning that they were breaking the law. None of that was happening.”

Photographs from the Department of Justice back up Cusick’s story and show him casually speaking with officers.

“They said that they understand that and that they’re ‘not the bad guys, we’re just here doing what we’re told,'” Staci said. “My dad loves this country. He volunteered to go to Vietnam and fight. He served 16 months there proudly. He has taken so many kids on trips to Washington, DC, to let them see this great country. He’s very passionate about this nation. He’s a pastor and he holds the Constitution in a very high regard. He hates what is happening to this country, but he would never vandalize or harm any government property, or anything for that matter. He’s a very upstanding man and I was devastated to see him taken away.”

Her voice shaking as she began to cry, Staci added, “there’s just no reason for it. He did nothing to deserve what we saw this morning. I don’t understand why they would feel okay doing this to someone like him. I think they felt bad about it, but they kept saying it’s their job.”

Staci said it made her uneasy to know that people who see that this is wrong would still be willing to do it, “because it’s their job.”

While they were arresting the pastor, law enforcement and the FBI were also at the homes of his friend that was with him and his son. All three men were taken into custody.

Casey’s wife Ruth, James (Father), and Casey (son) — provided by the family.

Video of Casey’s arrest, taken from the Ring that they luckily happened to install yesterday, was provided to the Gateway Pundit.

“My brother lives in another town close by, about 15 minutes away,” Staci explained. “He was arrested just before my father was arrested, but we did not know at the time.”

His three-year-old daughter, Staci explained, “was standing right there saying ‘why are they locking his hands, mommy?'”

She maintains that her brother is not a violent man and would not have supported vandalism. Again, they maintain that their group never even saw any.

The search warrant for Casey, provided to the Gateway Pundit, showed that they were looking for any clothing he wore during the protest — specifically including a red hat that read “Trump” on the front.

Her father’s friend was also arrested around the same time, as he was coming back from bringing his wife home from her heart doctor.

“As they pulled into their neighborhood, the FBI was waiting for him,” Staci explained. “They arrested him right in the street in front of all his neighbors.”

Famed attorney John Pierce, who is representing many of the January 6 Capitol protesters, is also helping to represent them. His new organization the National Constitutional Law Union Inc. (NCLU) aims to preserve and protect the United States Constitution and the American way of life “by providing legal support and funding to individuals whose Constitutional rights, civil liberties and similar rights are being violated or in jeopardy.”

“The process obviously continues of federal authorities rounding up American citizens with respect to January 6th. The NCLU is honored to be stepping in to provide support for these defendants and their lawyers,” Pierce said. “It is a very unique, difficult and uncertain time in American history. What is certain is that these defendants will be pleading not guilty to all charges. We look forward to trial and getting to the bottom of what actually happened on January 6th.”

Those who wish to contribute to the Cusick’ legal battle can do so here:https://secure.winred.com/national-constitutional-law-union/donate

 

 

Thanks for sharing!