A lesser-known woman named Victoria Charity White has voluntarily entered prison, sparking discussions about unjust sentencing. Her case highlights the severity of the crimes committed against the American people on January 6th.
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@Truth_InMedia - Truth In Media
This morning a woman most Americans have never heard of checked herself into prison to begin serving a sentence she should not have been given.
Her name is Victoria Charity White, and what happened to her on January 6th showed that terrible crimes were committed that day against the American people.
Video Transcript AI Summary
The video reveals the brutal assault on Victoria Charity White during the January 6th Capitol riot. She was beaten, stabbed, and punched by multiple police officers in the West tunnel. Despite her harrowing experience, she was not mentioned in the January 6th committee hearings. The officers involved, including Jason Bagshaw, Neil McAllister, and Sarah Beaver, faced no consequences for their actions. Victoria, who had experienced severe domestic violence in the past, was charged with misdemeanors and a felony. She eventually pleaded guilty to a single felony for civil disorder and received a sentence of 8 days in jail, a fine, and home confinement. Victoria has filed a lawsuit against the officers and Representative Mike Johnson.
Speaker 0: Every so often as journalists we come across something so disturbing it demands our attention. That's what happened when the new speaker of the house, representative Mike Johnson, finally authorized the release of thousands of hours of January 6th footage. Buried in there was an act of such brutality, it was difficult for us to understand how anyone who'd seen it and knew the truth Hadn't done something about it. If there's one moment that could alter how history records the events of January 6, It may very well be this one. When the image of a woman battered and bleeding made it impossible to deny That terrible crimes were committed that day against the American people and most of us had no idea.
The victim's name was never mentioned by the January 6th committee, but it's one we think you'll remember when you see what happened to Victoria Charity White. On a day of anger at the US capital, the West tunnel took center stage. Here, the police were cast as noble warriors Fending off a violent mob, and there was no shortage of footage to support that. Long after the smoke had faded and the battlefield had cleared, the heroic tale lived on.
Speaker 1: Disturbing just released 3 hour long video shows rioters storming the Capitol on January 6th, viciously attacking Capitol Police. Let me
Speaker 0: Broadcast into homes and phones across America.
Speaker 2: The law enforcement officers who defended the US Capitol will today receive The highest honor issued by the US Congress.
Speaker 0: The narrative supported by anger
Speaker 2: The indifference shown to my colleagues It's disgraceful. And
Speaker 0: a trail of tears.
Speaker 3: We lost our lives. We lost our lives. I could
Speaker 2: have lost my life Nowadays, democracies are not defined by our bad days.
Speaker 0: Not one appeared to be for Victoria Charity White, whose story didn't make the hearings, no sign of her in countless hours of television reports, ignored by members of the select committee Who likely had access to the video evidence and silence from all the police officers who witnessed what you're about to see. Trapped inside the tunnel between the crowd and police, Victoria White was tossed about like a ragdoll. A red sweater hard to miss, the glimpses of her face hard to watch. Together, police body cam footage and security cameras Revealed that Victoria was beaten and stabbed with a metal baton and punched over and over, the blows raining down on her head and face.
Speaker 3: I mean, you didn't try to fight? No. Did you try to shield yourself Yeah. From the impact?
Speaker 1: Why would I not? I think Reaction is you're gonna protect your head.
Speaker 3: Do you remember feeling any pain?
Speaker 1: I don't know. I know afterwards, like, when I was in the, Capitol in my Socks and, you know what, no shoes and stuff. I I felt pain.
Speaker 3: Could you see who was beating you?
Speaker 1: The guy in the white shirts, I found out was the lieutenant at the time, officer Jason Bakeshott. Mhmm.
Speaker 3: After he beat you with a baton, he punched you in the face.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I haven't watched the other videos. I I can't anymore yourself.
Speaker 3: Is it too painful? Too difficult to relive it moment by moment?
Speaker 1: Ma'am, I get in a very bad place. Yeah.
Speaker 0: Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Jason Bagshaw, then with nearly 18 years on the force, Was identified by federal prosecutors as the man in the white shirt, cited in court documents in another January 6th case. Prosecutors acknowledge that Bagshaw struck or attempted to strike Victoria White in the head or upper body, Describing this as undisputed and admitted MPD and Capitol Police use of force policies required officers to avoid striking the head Unless necessary, because it is a sensitive area where the risk of death or serious injury was high. Another DC metro cop officer Neil McAllister also appeared to assault Victoria. Take a closer look at his body cam on the right combined with the body cam of officer Henry Folds who was next to him. Together, their cameras seem to show McCallister slamming Victoria White into another protester and the concrete wall of the narrow tunnel.
We tried to confirm McCallus' actions with the FBI and the US attorney's office, but both declined to answer our questions. The chaos made it difficult to piece together. But watch again in real time. Notably, McCallister's body cam was missing footage at a critical moment. This clip ended abruptly.
And when the next clip began, the screen was completely white for almost half a minute, and 15 seconds were missing from the time stamp. We turn to the security camera to see what happened during that time. It showed lieutenant Bagshaw repeatedly punching Victoria on the side of her head. When Michalis' body cam resumed, Victoria was still under assault. Another unidentified officer in a black uniform Could be seen stabbing her with a baton again and again, then seemed to grind the weapon into her body.
We knew this was not McCallister because, as you can see from his body cam, he was wearing a yellow jacket, and both his hands were empty. No baton. Court documents led us to the body cam of officer Sarah Beaver, which we matched precisely with security camera footage. As her arms moved back and forth in the body cam, the wider view provided a clearer picture of the assault on Victoria White. We reached out to the MPD for confirmation, but a spokesperson respectfully declined to comment.
When we slowed Michalis' footage down, We discovered something else. At that time, Victoria was also being stabbed in the back. And there wasn't just 1 baton, there were 2, Which meant 2 more officers assaulting her at the same time. 1 was Jason Bagshawt, seen here striking her repeatedly. The other hasn't been identified for now.
And as far as we could tell, this has not been reported. Their actions seem to fit the MPD's definition of deadly force, which was any force likely or intended to cause serious bodily injury or death. According to their policy, deadly force was only to be used against an active assailant described as someone who has intent To inflict imminent death or serious bodily injury on an officer or another person. And Victoria White, who you can see was surrounded, was obviously in no position to threaten or attack anyone. From what we could see, the single mom from Minnesota, Then 39 years old was hit and stabbed more than 40 times with a metal baton and punched in the face at least 5 times by lieutenant Bagshaw who used his left fist.
Speaker 3: Open, mama.
Speaker 0: Something else that stood out to us. No matter how much she was beaten, there was simply nowhere for Victoria White to go.
Speaker 3: Was it hard to breathe? I I
Speaker 1: was just trying to stand stand up and not be trampled. That's where my focus was Until they hit to the head. And everything else, it just, just what I see on the camera. Because when the first blow came, It's like I was right back there with my ex. And then it was just, like, nothing.
Speaker 0: Victoria said the beating took her back to a time in her life she had worked hard to overcome.
Speaker 1: I was in a relationship for 10 years that was Severely violent.
Speaker 3: When you say severely violent, can you give me a sense of what that was like for you?
Speaker 1: Being choked to the point that, I go unconscious, the blood vessel in my eye burst. I I was beat like a man by a man that's, you know, Pretty well built and and very strong. I'd get punched in the face if I turn the the wheel too sharp and he spilled his beer on himself, you know, get yelled at for some guy looking at me or talking to me, and then it would escalate from there. And if I tried to defend myself and fight back, he loved that. I've been pushed down a flight of stairs.
I was thrown on the floor, beat, kicked. He took the lamp off my off my dresser and beat me with it, then took me, pulled me by my hair. And of course all this time he's yelling at me, dragged me through the hall, threw me down my apartment stairs, and then down there, you know, was punching punching Choking, and then I passed out, and I wake up, and he's trying to smack me. I have pictures of it. You could see his fingerprints on my neck From him choking me.
My friend's like, you need to call 911. And I'm like, nah. You know? Because I know what happens if we do that.
Speaker 3: How did you get away?
Speaker 1: The last incident was so bad that, that That I I just wanted to be you know, if I I should have died, I didn't. So I'm just like, I'm done, you know, like, whatever if you're basically if By me standing up, if he's gonna kill me, just fine. So be it. At least I'm standing up.
Speaker 0: Victoria provided us with some of the photographs, Evidence of the abuse she endured. They were not easy to look at, the extent of her injuries and her pain, Images of a woman who seemed to have been through hell and somehow against the odds survived.
Speaker 1: I had filed for order of protection for 50 years. The judge approved it.
Speaker 3: Are you free of him now?
Speaker 1: Free? As in I'm, like, Not in, that relationship, but free of him. I'll never be free of him until, You know, god calls him, home. I pray for him and I forgive him, but at the same time, I'm also Honest with myself that this man could pop up at any time and and kill me. It's it's not a joke in the long Term of that, just thinking that mistakenly thinking that some guy at a freaking Grocery store is him.
But it wasn't. I mean, that's the kind of,
Speaker 3: Trauma. Yeah. And fear. Yeah. And then it just, like, puts you in place, like, like, you always imagine, like, what would happen if, like because I wanna prepare myself for the worst.
You know? Because that's always what it's been. And so it hit like, when it happens and it's not, but it's like too late because I'm already in that situation and, like, I'm froze. And I'm not running. I'm not doing anything.
And, that's what that's what you have to live with. And, You know, because you're always wondering, am I gonna, what what am I gonna do if that situation happens? Forget it. Nobody should have to live like that. The fear and the psychological torture.
It's not just the physical.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I'm so sorry. What's life? Let's take a moment.
Speaker 0: I'm sorry. It was one of the most difficult conversations I've experienced in more than 35 years of reporting, and there have been many that threatened to break me. But Victoria White, her strength and courage took my breath away. Of all the people in the crowd that day, It was difficult to understand how a woman who'd been through so much was the one singled out for more. Watching the footage, we couldn't see how anyone could justify charging Victoria White.
Yet that's What the DOJ did in April 2021. In the indictment, 3 misdemeanors and a felony for civil disorder. All told, Victoria was facing up to 22 years in prison. In that separate Jacek's case that confirmed Bagshaw struck Victoria, Prosecutors made this surprising statement. While many observers might instinctively cringe at the sight of a male officer Using a baton to strike or attempt to strike the head, neck, and shoulders of a smaller woman, there are many possible lawful justifications For lieutenant Bagshaw's use of force.
Ultimately, they blamed Victoria White for being in the tunnel, Stating her location alone was criminal, making her subject to arrest. And it presented a threat to the officers and the US capital. Curiously, that wasn't consistent with the evidence. As you can see here, once she reached the entrance to the tunnel, the crowd overwhelmed her, And Victoria was not in control.
Speaker 1: The minute I step down, it's like I'm swallowed by a sea of guys. And then they're all pushing in. And I almost fall down on the ground. And mind you, my back is turned. There's no I can't go nowhere.
I'm doing good to stay to keep myself up.
Speaker 3: Just to stay on your feet?
Speaker 1: Yeah. Just stand on my feet.
Speaker 3: We've spoken to other witnesses who also described that surge, that push of people from Behind that came out of nowhere Yep. Was totally unexpected. Yeah. And that's what pushed you into the town?
Speaker 1: Yeah. I'm just falling and trying to keep myself up. And then it's, like, goes like this. Like like a c. I don't know how to explain it.
Speaker 3: And then suddenly you're surrounded by police officers. Yeah.
Speaker 0: According to FBI agent, Trisha Whitehill, Who wrote the statement of facts for Victoria White's case around 407 PM? Victoria could be seen grabbing for 1 of the MPD officers Standing on a ledge. But a close look at the security footage showed that claim was neither honest nor accurate. Here, it was just after 4 PM, and nothing was happening inside the tunnel with the exception of the officer on the ledge Saturating those trapped below with what appeared to be pepper spray. Victoria White, like those around her, still could not move.
And when the clock turned to 4:0:6 PM, lieutenant Bagshaw reached for his metal baton, and for almost 3 minutes, Carried out the relentless assault. You can hear the sound change to a dull thud as the metal sunk into her skull. When Victoria White's arms went up into the air at 4:07 and 16 seconds in front of the officer standing on the ledge, She was fighting to stay alive. The officer did nothing to stop Bagshaw beating her. Instead, he pepper sprayed Victoria in the face At close range, twice.
We reached out to agent Whitehill and the FBI press office in Minnesota, But were referred to the US attorney's office in Washington, DC. The public affairs specialist there politely declined to answer our questions. One of the things we wanted to know was why FBI agent Whitehill wrote, as the video progresses, the MPD officers Attempt to push White back with their riot shields and fend her off with a baton. Once again, that was not what the evidence showed. It's obvious from the tunnel security camera footage that the only person fending anyone off was Victoria White, And the idea she was a threat to the officers was absurd.
Listen as one of the protesters, a man right next to her, Pleaded with Jason Bagshaw. And it didn't end there. Prosecutors speculated it's possible that lieutenant Bagshaw struck her for no justifiable reason. It's also possible that he struck her to disarm her or to subdue her after she attacked an officer. However, Victoria White was never charged with possessing a weapon Or assaulting an officer.
And no evidence of either claim was provided. No photos or footage in spite of all the cameras in that tunnel.
Speaker 3: And did you have any weapons of any kind on you?
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 3: So was there anything that led up to that moment into the tunnel that, could be construed in any way as being a threat to the police? Anything that you did?
Speaker 1: That I did? No. Absolutely not.
Speaker 3: Did you ever, push or strike any police officer?
Speaker 1: I didn't strike any police officers, and I don't recall ever pushing a police officer. I grabbed onto a shield to pull myself up at one point from the video.
Speaker 3: But that was after you were being beaten.
Speaker 0: Yeah. We could find no evidence of any MPD officer Disciplined or charged for their conduct on January 6th, and most incidents investigated by the MPD use of force board were deemed justified. But we did find Jason Bagshaw, Neil McCallister, and Sarah Beaver Among those who received the MPD's ribbon of valor at their annual awards ceremony some 9 months after January 6th, Batchel was promoted a few months later in 2021, and again the following year on April 7th When he reached the rank of commander and took over running the MPD special operations division. Prior to January 6th, Jason Bagshaw was a hated man among far left activists and members of Antifa. He and the MPD are often accused by them of using excessive force.
In 2017, the MPD was ranked 3rd in the nation for misconduct settlements according to a nonprofit, police scorecard.org, that was founded by leftist activists, including one of the leaders of Black Lives Matter. Some of those lawsuits were brought by the ACLU, others by leftist protesters who claimed the MPD violated their constitutional rights. For their part, Antifa protesters, like these dressed in the uniform of Antifa's black bloc, are trained to incite police to act. And when they do, images of uniformed officers using any type of force Play into their defund the police agenda, much like this clip from 2020 that showed Jason Bagshaw picking up a protester and dropping him. And incidents like this one from July 2022 When Bagshaw shot and killed 23 year old Lazarus Wilson as seen in this video right after the shooting when a police officer arrived on scene.
Bagsaw was off duty at the time, and police released this video of the suspect allegedly pointing a gun And this footage of diners hiding under their tables in a nearby restaurant. He was cleared of any wrongdoing, And his bio on the MPD website showed that throughout his career, he's received awards and commendations. On January 6th, police body cam footage showed him, easily recognizable with his tall frame and white shirt, on the front line Confronting protesters for some time before he got to the West Tunnel, officer Neil McCallister's body cam showed him being gassed Multiple times.
Speaker 3: Dude, I got the OC sprayed, like, 4 times, and then they just got fucking gas, Like, boys. Holy shit. You look like shit.
Speaker 0: And in the midst of the action on the lower west terrace. In this clip, a protester Who was surrounded by police, managed to break free and make a run for it, only to be tackled by McCallister. Strangely enough, There was another lapse in his body cam footage at a critical moment. The clip ended abruptly and when the next began, The time stamp showed seconds were gone. Once again, we turned to another source to see what was happening in that moment.
In this footage that was shared on social media, you see the man restrained face down on the ground with McAllister On top of him
Speaker 3: The cops are beating the fuck out of that guy.
Speaker 0: When officer Neil McCallister's body cam resumed, the man was cuffed and briefly detained.
Speaker 3: Can you spray this motherfucker? Jesus Christ. Get off your head.
Speaker 0: Later, McCallister was recorded Saying the police should be harder on the crowd.
Speaker 3: Dude, I don't know why they're just not going home on this.
Speaker 0: At another point, he said
Speaker 3: This is a fucking civil war. This is a civil war. This is a civil war right here.
Speaker 0: And after that
Speaker 3: So they're so they're bringing it on the into the capital, and they're not shooting them.
Speaker 0: With this mindset, McCallister was sent into the tunnel after he and other officers shoved people down the steps to clear them. A man lunged at him twice. Some of the protesters voiced their concern and support. We requested interviews with commander Bagshaw and officer McAllister, But the MPD communications office declined. We also filed freedom of information requests for their police records, But those were also denied.
Before any of this happened, when Victoria White was still outside the tunnel, She told us about an incident that troubled her.
Speaker 1: I hear, Antifa. Antifa. And I look, And here's a guy, like, trying to break out the window. So that was a big concern to me. Very big.
Speaker 3: So what did you do?
Speaker 1: I immediately thought to myself, the right thing to do is stop the guy. So I just ran. And I didn't think, Give it another thought. I just ran and pulled him down.
Speaker 3: And he was breaking out that window that was right next to the to the west tunnel entrance. Right?
Speaker 1: Yep. He sure Seemed like auntie, but because he sure fit the little description. I mean, that's like a little guy ish. Little white guy. Yep.
Skinny. Glasses skinny, scrawny, and just, Like, little dude. I'm like, soy boy is what I thought.
Speaker 0: I'm like, get him out
Speaker 1: of here. Get him out of here. You know? We don't do that. Like, who comes to state of president And hear him and then go break out a window.
We we don't do that.
Speaker 3: So for you, doing nothing wasn't an option.
Speaker 0: No. No. With the 1st man removed, another climbed up and took his place, assisted by this woman in what looked Like a coordinated effort.
Speaker 1: When I go to grab him and then men, a group, like, of men, they they grab me. And but I managed to get 1 arm free, come over and grab his backpack and pull him down. Then it was then that I realized, like, Oh, no. Like, they don't want me stopping. No one they they want this.
Like, something I I remember hearing, you know, like, before, Antifa said that they would infiltrate, and dress like Trump supporters and things like that. Little did I realize at the time that there's
Speaker 3: fed Undercovers and confidential heat sources.
Speaker 1: The HSS. Yep.
Speaker 0: The official line was that Antifa had no role in the violence that day. But for many, that was undermined early on By curious footage like this that went viral, people online claimed it showed Antifa operatives switching out their clothes, Although these individuals remain unidentified. Elena. Victoria White was no stranger to conflict. For her, life had always been rough, starting at birth when she said her mother abandoned her at the hospital.
Speaker 1: It was too much After 14 kids, and then my dad divorced, her when she was pregnant with me and remarried. But then he had a massive heart attack when I was 4 and died. And
Speaker 3: It sounds tough. Was it? Yeah. Were you, poor?
Speaker 1: Oh, yeah. I vividly remember, having to stay in a tent in the back Of an apartment, small apartment complex with my sister, who I call my mom, her husband and 2 sons. And then, You know, they got jobs up in Minnesota and then were able to rent a home. So yeah. But it was It was a kind of home that had rats.
That had rats? I hate rodents to the stadium.
Speaker 3: Did you have enough to eat?
Speaker 1: Most of the time it was like, things like pancakes, like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But well sometimes we'd have like Squirrel.
Speaker 3: Squirrel. Wow. Yeah. You said you called your sister mom? Mhmm.
Why?
Speaker 1: Because I didn't know at first that she was my sister. I was just told, you know, she was my mom. Till I got a little older, so.
Speaker 3: How did you find out?
Speaker 1: One of my sisters, I just remember she was like Saying to my nephews who I called my brother, like, you're not their sister. You're, our sister. And I was like, what? You know, I always thought These people aren't my family. I'm a princess do something type thing, but that wasn't the case.
She was like, Mary is your sister. If it wasn't for her, you would be In a put in a box and be put on the Mississippi, and you'd be in China by now.
Speaker 3: That's what they would tell you?
Speaker 1: And so I asked and found out It was true that she was my sister, not my mom.
Speaker 3: Was that a shock?
Speaker 1: Yeah. I was, you know, hoping more like princess, but not so much like that. But Kinda set the the tone for the rest of my life. Yeah. That, you know, just kinda like finding out My biological mom didn't want me or couldn't take care of me.
And then my dad, he chose all my other brothers and sisters, but not me. So. Yeah.
Speaker 3: That's a lot of pain to carry.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Story of my life. So. Sorry. Don't be.
Speaker 3: Now you're a mom. Yeah. You have 4 beautiful girls?
Speaker 1: I do. Okay. We are in DC. The line to get in is Crazy long. This
Speaker 0: When Victoria White went to hear Donald Trump speak on January 6th, it was the first time she'd ever seen the capital. And in these videos heading to the rally, there was a sense of anticipation and of history being made.
Speaker 3: Truck twenty
Speaker 0: A few hours later, separated from friends and family in handcuffs and police custody, The smiles and excitement were gone.
Speaker 3: At this point, you have blood running down your face. Did anyone try to help you with medical Assistance?
Speaker 1: Mm-mm. No.
Speaker 3: No one even offered? And it's clear that you're under arrest?
Speaker 1: No. They never said I was under arrest. They never said I did I did anything wrong.
Speaker 0: Along with other protesters, Victoria was transported to the DC Metropolitan Police Station that night.
Speaker 1: They didn't even put real handcuffs on me. They put zip tight things on me. Never read any more rights. Never told me I did any anything wrong. They don't fingerprint me.
They don't take a picture. And then they finally cut the zip ties off me. And I go to put my, hair that had been in my face the whole time, out of my face. And then that's when I, when I realized that I've got blood, in my hair and my face, and I'm Like, oh. And then then they handcuffed me to a bench.
Speaker 0: Later, she said, without explanation, they cut her loose into the winter's night.
Speaker 3: You lost everything when you were being beaten?
Speaker 1: Yep.
Speaker 3: Were you freezing?
Speaker 1: Oh, it was horrible. It was really, really cold.
Speaker 3: And dark? Yeah. When you left there, you had no idea that they would be coming after you.
Speaker 1: No. I knew it.
Speaker 3: You did?
Speaker 1: I knew without a doubt. I knew it. I was like, nope. They're gonna switch up everything that just happened to me.
Speaker 0: She was right. In late January of 2021, An FBI agent came looking for her at home in Rochester, Minnesota. Victoria said that terrified her daughters.
Speaker 1: I'm like, you want To arrest me, I said, just call me. I said, you have my cell phone number now. Just call me. I have no problem. I'll I'll turn myself in.
Just Don't scare my kids like that.
Speaker 0: But less than 3 months later, they were back.
Speaker 1: It was early in the morning, and it's that knock. You just, you know, that knock. And I had been sleeping in the living room. The window was cracked, you know, because to let in the fresh breeze. Like, Yeah.
We got a warrant for your arrest, and my girls are freaking out, and I'm freaking out.
Speaker 3: Do they show up with a lot of officers and agents?
Speaker 1: Yeah. Are they surrounded? My block, Not just my house, you know, it's a corner house. My block, my freaking block.
Speaker 0: The FBI and DOJ Treated Victoria not as a victim but as a criminal. And when we talked to her last summer, she was anxious about the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence and felt there was no hope of a fair trial in Washington, DC, where according to the DC Board of Elections, an founding 92% of residents voted for Joe Biden.
Speaker 3: At this point, would you take a PDL?
Speaker 1: You know, I really have nothing less left to lose. I should have died that day anyway.
Speaker 3: Do you still have any health issues from the beating? Can you get any help?
Speaker 0: Victoria did end up making a deal almost 3 years after January 6. On November 20th last year, she reluctantly plead guilty to a single felony for civil disorder. The prosecutor asked the judge, John d Bates, to lock her up for 4 months, citing her criminal history from a troubled past, Mostly from driving while intoxicated. But the judge sentenced her to 8 days in jail to be served over 4 consecutive weekends, A $2,000 fine and 3 months home confinement. In early January, with her case settled, Victoria White sued commander Jason Bagshaw, officer Neil McAllister, and the speaker of the house, Mike Johnson, Right before the statute of limitations ran out, she's representing herself for now and told us it's about the truth as much as justice.
But she said the road ahead is long, the damage lasting, and the memories of what happened to her in the West Tunnel still cast a dark shadow over her life.
