MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis man arrested Friday morning for his alleged role in the riot at the Capitol has a history of arrests.
Matthew Bledsoe was arrested in October 2020 for allegedly grabbing his wife by the throat and slamming her to the ground at their Cordova home, although it’s unclear what became of the case.
At the time, police said his wife told them she had a history of violence with him.
In 2007 and 2009, Bledsoe was charged with DUIs. In 2006, he was charged with evading arrest.
State records show he owns Primetime Movers, but the business didn’t respond to WREG’s request for comment.
Federal agents say they zeroed in on Bledsoe after they were tipped off that he was at the Capitol last week. They pointed to images and videos he posted on social media that appear to show him inside the Capitol.
Prosecutors also reference a social media post by Bledsoe’s wife in which she said that he was inside the Capitol and calls him a “patriot soldier.”
No one answered at Bledsoe’s home Friday afternoon, but a neighbor began shouting at a WREG crew from across the street.
“You know how many deaths threats they’ve had?” the man said.
Bledsoe appeared in court via video conference Friday morning.
He’s charged with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.