Tag: Derrick Evans

Derrick Evans, a newly elected West Virginia state lawmaker, has resigned before serving a single day in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

The 35-year-old from Wayne County was one of hundreds of pro-Trump extremists who stormed the U.S. Capitol and disrupted Congress during the certification of state election results that solidified Democrat Joe Biden as winner of the 2020 presidential election.

He submitted a one-sentence letter of resignation to the office of Gov. Jim Justice.

“I hereby resign as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, effectively immediately,” he wrote.

A spokesperson for the office of House Speaker Roger Hanshaw also provided a statement from Evans that accompanied the letter.

“The past few days have certainly been a difficult time for my family, colleagues and myself, so I feel it’s best at this point to resign my seat in the House and focus on my personal situation and those I love,” Evans said.

“I take full responsibility for my actions, and deeply regret any hurt, pain or embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends, constituents and fellow West Virginians. I hope this action I take today can remove any cloud of distraction from the state Legislature, so my colleagues can get to work in earnest building a brighter future for our state. And more importantly, I hope it helps to begin the healing process, so we can all move forward and come together as ‘One Nation, Under God.’”

On Friday, Evans was charged with entering a restricted area and disorderly conduct during the insurrection on the capitol.

Charging documents note that Evans was identified through video he live streamed on his Facebook page, as well as his voice in the video, which federal officials compared to a campaign video that Evans had earlier posted to the same page.

At one point in the video, Evans identifies himself as he made his way into the capitol building.

“We’re In! We’re In! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”

The Facebook page where Evans live-streamed his role in the insurrection has since been deleted, although copies of the video are widely available online.

A newly elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates joined supporters of Donald Trump as hundreds forced their way into the U.S. Capitol.

Del. Derrick Evans, R-Wayne, streamed video on his Facebook page that showed him at first outside the capitol building and, then later, just outside an entryway before the group made its way inside.

Evans — who won his first term as a state lawmaker in the November election and was sworn in last month — joined other pro-Trump extremists for large-scale protests Wednesday. In the afternoon, Congress was meeting in a joint session to certify each state’s presidential election results as crowds made their way inside the doors of the capitol building.

The House and Senate had returned to their respective chambers to debate an objection to Arizona’s results shortly before the building was reportedly locked down as an insurrection was mounted by Trump supporters.

At least one of the videos live streamed by Evans was deleted. However, multiple social media users made copies of the video and shared it with West Virginia Public Broadcasting and other news outlets.

At one point during the since-deleted video posted by Evans, hundreds of people were shown forcing their way into the building. Someone off-camera — possibly Evans himself — proclaims they had made their way into the building.

“We’re in! We’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” can be heard on the video.

In a separate Facebook post published just after 6 p.m., Evans said he was on a bus traveling back to West Virginia. He wrote that he did not have “negative interactions” with law enforcement. He said he did not participate in “any destruction that may have occurred.”

He wrote that he was in D.C. “as an independent member of the media to film history.”

In a statement issued Wednesday evening, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw condemned the events at the U.S. Capitol and acknowledged Evans’ apparent involvement in the storming of the building.

“I have not spoken to Delegate Evans about today’s events. I don’t know the specifics of his involvement. I have only seen what has been posted on social media so far, and I’m sure more details may come out soon,” Hanshaw said. “He will need to answer to his constituents and colleagues regarding his involvement in what has occurred today.”

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A spokesman for Hanshaw also said that because the event is still unfolding, the Speaker’s office is gathering information and “will evaluate all the potential consequences once the totality of the situation is understood.”

Belinda Biafore and Rod Snyder — who serve as chair and vice-chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, respectively — called for Evans to resign from his seat in the House of Delegates.

Evans did not respond to multiple requests by West Virginia Public Broadcasting for an interview.