First Responders

California Man Accused of Assaulting DC Cops Becomes Political Refugee in Belarus

March 24, 2022Carl Prine
Evan Neumann

Branded a fugitive from justice in the US, Evan Neumann, 49, has been granted political refugee status in Belarus. Still image from BelTA News Agency footage.

A California man who allegedly attacked police officers while storming Capitol Hill to stop Joe Biden from becoming president is now a political refugee in Belarus, state-controlled media in Minsk reported Tuesday, March 22.


That announcement came 11 days after US District Judge Rudolph “Rudy” Contreras in Washington, DC, declared Evan Neumann, 49, a fugitive from justice. Belarus has no extradition treaty with the US.


Prosecutors have charged Neumann with 14 violations of federal law, including assaulting police officers, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, entering restricted areas without lawful authority, disorderly conduct, engaging in physical violence, and violent entry, tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill.


Belarusian state media previously reported that Neumann fled the US three months after the Capitol Hill demonstrations, traveling across Europe before entering Ukraine. In August of 2021, he slipped into Belarus, a nation known for widespread human rights abuses, including massive police violence against pro-democracy demonstrators as well as torturing, disappearing, and intimidating regime critics.


“Belarus is very nice and I feel safe in Belarus, especially compared to my compatriots in America,” Neumann said during a BelTA news agency telecast on Tuesday.


California man Evan Neumann
Evan Neumann, 49, allegedly jousts with federal law enforcement officers for control of a barricade on Jan. 6, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. US Department of Justice photo.

Strongly allied with Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin, President Alexander Lukashenko has helmed Belarus since 1994. Lukashenko has aided Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine but insists he won’t send Belarusian troops to fight there.


“I am very grateful,” Neumann told a reporter during the BelTA broadcast, adding that gaining political refugee status felt “bittersweet,” like eating cranberries.


“So, very happy and very sad at the same time,” he said.


Neumann indicated that he’s been living in the border city of Brest for the past seven months, but he’d like to visit Minsk, the nation’s capital.


He appeared clean-shaven and calm throughout Tuesday’s videotaped proceedings in Brest. A criminal complaint filed by FBI on March 23, 2021, however, depicts Neumann as a bearded firebrand who mocked police officers trying to block a growing mob from entering the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 demonstrations.


neumann
Evan Neumann, 49, is depicted here allegedly attacking federal law enforcement officers. US Department of Justice photo.

A body-worn camera from a Metropolitan Police Department officer allegedly recorded Neumann on Jan. 6, 2021, telling cops they were “defending the people” who would kill, rape, and imprison their children.


When an officer told him to move away from a barricade, Neumann reportedly said, “No, you can’t tell me what to do, you piece of shit.”


Neumann also allegedly accused officers of kneeling “to Antifa because they’re little bitches” and warned the crowd would “overrun” the police, adding, “I’m willing to die. Are you?”


Federal agents say Neumann later grabbed their barricades and began jousting with the police for control of their barriers, eventually joining the mob in using the steel grating like battering rams to bludgeon the officers.


Prosecutors say Neumann punched one officer and then joined a stream of demonstrators moving over the broken police line and toward the Capitol building, where he stayed for several hours.


Coffee or Die Magazine’s attempts to reach Neumann in Brest were unsuccessful. The cell phone number he used in the US seems to be disconnected and he didn’t return messages sent to his AOL email account.


Read Next: DISPATCH: On the Eve of Battle With an American Volunteer in Ukraine



Carl Prine
Carl Prine

Carl Prine is a former senior editor at Coffee or Die Magazine. He has worked at Navy Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His awards include the Joseph Galloway Award for Distinguished Reporting on the military, a first prize from Investigative Reporters & Editors, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
father's day
Father’s Day Gift Guide: Don’t Disappoint Your Dad … Again

It’s less than two weeks until Father’s Day, and last-minute gifts for Dad are harder to come by tha...

space force
Air Force Picks Colorado For More Space Force Missions

The Air Force announced the permanent location for many more U.S. Space Force units Wednesday — and ...

Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay: The World War II General Who Firebombed Japan

Who exactly was Gen. Curtis LeMay? And how did he become the commander who razed more than 60 Japanese cities during World War II?

eric smith marine corps commandant nominee
Highly Decorated Marine Officer Nominated To Be Next Commandant

President Joe Biden has nominated a highly decorated Marine officer who has been involved in the transformation of the force to be the next Marine Corps commandant.

USS Arizona
Profile of a Ship: USS Arizona

When the USS Arizona sank, it took 1,177 crew members with it. Today it remains beneath the water as a memorial to all those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

b1 bombers bosnia
US Bombers Fly Over Bosnia in Sign of Support Amid Continued Secessionist Threats

A pair of U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flew low over Sarajevo and several other Bosnian cities...

SR-71 Blackbird
SR-71 Blackbird: The Spy Plane That Could Outrun Missiles

Lockheed Martin’s SR-71 Blackbird was a government secret for years. Now retired, a newer version plans to take its place.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved