Last Updated on January 19, 2020
A YouTube video shows George Wagner, a disabled Navy veteran and son of a state police captain, being interrogated by Virginia state police officers for taking photos at the Virginia State Capitol.
Wagner is told that a “credible tip” reached the state police desk about Wagner possibly engaging in “pre-operational planing” at the Capitol.
“I’m sure you’re well aware of all the events occurring on Monday,” an officer who gave his name as Adam Culpa tells Wagner.
“Correct, I am a citizen of the United States and I understand that we have an unconstitutional Second Amendment a**hole governor, who is taking away our rights,” Wagner replies.
Wagner is told there is “video footage” of him at the Capitol walking around, “checking into structures,” and “knocking on pillars, most likely to check densities.”
The other officer tells Wagner that police at the state house saw him engaging in the aforementioned “pre-operational planning.”
“What they saw was an intelligent American who is situationally aware of the piss-poor job y’all will do with my security,” Wagner says. “You are disarming me, you are putting me behind a gate, and still, as a free man, I’m gonna come here and stand.”
“We’re trying to understand if you intend to do harm,” the unnamed officer on the left says.
“I don’t intend to do anything, and you might want to tell [State Police Superintendent] Colonel Settle, that the reason I knew what I was doing is [because] my father was Captain Bill Wagner, W.R. Wagner, Virginia State Police. So I’m very aware. I was raised aware.”
National File was able to confirm Wagner’s father is indeed Captain William R. Wagner of the Virginia State Police, who was deeply respected by his police chapter associates and passed away in 1989.
Wagner eventually tells the officer on the left to leave his property so Wagner can converse with Officer Culpa in private, and the unnamed officer complies, who walks away dejectedly down to the public sidewalk.
The disabled Navy veteran continues to berate Culpa, telling him that the unnamed officer is likely to create problems, and instructing Culpa to instruct him how to behave at Monday’s Lobby Day rally.
Wagner also insults Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who was made famous after National File Senior Reporter Patrick Howley exposed his racist yearbook photos in 2018.
Wagner alluded to the racist photo, and suggested a kindergartner could do a better job as governor.
The full video of the encounter can be seen below:
