Here’s an Alleged Capitol Rioter Holding the Mountain Lion He Killed

Want the best of VICE News straight to your inbox? Sign up here.

In the last few months, an alleged Capitol rioter has apparently killed both a mountain lion and a bobcat. The only problem? He’s not even supposed to have a gun.

A federal judge put Patrick Montgomery, 48, on house arrest Monday for violating the terms of his pretrial release following his arrest for his alleged role in the Capitol riot on January 6. 

Montgomery was granted that release later in January, according to the Denver Gazette, but he was banned from hunting, as well as having guns and hunting knives in his home. But prosecutors say that didn’t stop him from using “a handgun to shoot a mountain lion” at a park near Denver. A photo of Montgomery holding the mountain lion he killed was included in a Colorado Parks and Wildlife report.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife authorities performed a mandatory check on the mountain lion after Montgomery killed it. They later found out that Montgomery was prohibited by state law from carrying a handgun because of a different criminal conviction unrelated to Capitol riot allegations. Earlier this month, the FBI “``received an alert” about Montgomery killing the mountain lion while illegally possessing a handgun, court documents said. 

In addition to the mountain lion killing, Montgomery is accused of tracking a bobcat for more than 11 miles in January, shooting it out of a tree with a slingshot, and then allowing his dogs to kill it, both of which are illegal ways to kill a bobcat in Colorado. 

Montgomery allegedly threatened to “press charges against the State of Colorado for taking [his] income” after Colorado Parks and Wildlife authorities took his bobcat pelt, prosecutors said. Montgomery is a professional hunting guide who owns a Littleton-based company called Pmonte Outdoors.

“Montgomery has no respect for the Court’s orders, just like he had no respect for law enforcement at the Capitol on January 6,” prosecutors said in the motion to revoke his pretrial release last week. 

They further described his alleged conduct during the Capitol riot. 

“Instead of peacefully protesting, he tried to grab a Metropolitan Police Department officer’s baton, wrestled him to the ground for it, and then kicked the officer in the chest while wearing a boot,” prosecutors said. “After the officer regained control of his baton, Montgomery stood up, and held up his two middle fingers at the officer.” 

Montgomery was arrested on January 17 and indicted on multiple charges related to the Capitol riot, including assaulting a police officer and violent entry. Before and during the riot, Montgomery allegedly posted photos and Facebook status updates, including one in which he said he was in the Senate chamber. 

“We stormed the Senate…opened those Chamber door [sic] for Transparency!” he wrote on Facebook, according to a court affidavit. (Montgomery then deleted his social media accounts on January 7, according to the affidavit.) 

Montgomery has now been placed on a 24-hour lockdown at home and is under GPS monitoring, according to court documents. His travel outside of Colorado must be approved by the court, and he was ordered to “stay away from Washington D.C.” outside of appointments related to his legal issues.

In addition to his problems with the federal government, Montgomery was issued two citations in the taking of the bobcat, according to court documents. Montgomery could also face state charges in Colorado, including a felony for possessing a gun as a felon, according to CBS Denver.  

To date, more than 400 people including Montgomery have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot.