Pardoned Capitol Rioter Bryan Betancur Arrested Following Viral Videos of Nonconsensual Touching on Washington Metro

Bryan Betancur, a pardoned Capitol rioter, faces assault charges after viral videos show him touching women's hair without consent on the DC Metro.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 4:08 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Maryland Matters

Transit Police Intervene After Viral Alerts

Metro Transit Police have apprehended 28 year old Bryan Betancur following a wave of public concern triggered by videos circulating on social media. The Silver Spring resident was arrested Monday night and officially charged with assault and battery in connection with an incident occurring on a Silver Line train near the Clarendon station. While law enforcement has not explicitly confirmed that every viral video is tied to this specific charge, the arrest follows a series of digital clips depicting a man engaging in inappropriate and nonconsensual behavior toward female commuters.

The Digital Trail of Inappropriate Behavior

The investigation was accelerated by multiple posts on the social media platform X, which appeared to show Betancur livestreaming his actions under an account titled "Bryan On Task." In these recordings, a man identified by users as Betancur is seen reaching out to touch the hair of unsuspecting women while filming his surroundings within the transit system. One particular clip showed the suspect in an Arlington station, while other posts included screenshots of messages where the suspect allegedly claimed to have received permission for his actions, a claim countered by the visual evidence of the secret filming.

A History of Political and Criminal Infamy

Betancur is a well known figure to federal authorities due to his participation in the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, for which he was sentenced to four months in prison and a year of supervised release in August 2022. Although he served time for those charges, he was eventually part of a sweeping group of pardons issued by President Donald Trump. Beyond his political activities, charging documents from his prior arrests reveal a deeply troubled history, including self-professed white supremacist views and documented research into mass shootings.