Trump supporter who stormed Capitol while facing attempted murder charge released into...

A supporter of Donald Trump accused of storming the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot while facing a first-degree attempted murder charge was ordered released into the custody of his grandfather Wednesday.

U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols said Matthew Beddingfield — who was seen in video footage using a flagpole with the American flag to attack police on Jan. 6 — could be released into the custody of his grandfather, a military veteran who lives in rural North Carolina.

Nichols said he would have held Beddingfield until his trial had his grandfather not volunteered to serve as custodian.

“Were it not for Mr. Beddingfield’s relationship with his grandfather... this would be a relatively easy case,” Nichols said.

The government had asked Nichols to reverse the decision of a federal magistrate judge who had ordered Beddingfield released from pretrial detention into the custody of his grandfather.