LUBBOCK, Texas — After a Lubbock man, Ryan Scott Zink, 34, was found guilty of several charges for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, his father, Jeff Zink, said he was “very disappointed” and believed his son was exercising his first amendment rights.
Jeff also released videos taken by Ryan on January 6. In the video, Ryan was heard telling others to leave police alone and let them do their jobs. Jeff said Capitol Police corroborated their story and claimed Capitol Police called Ryan “helpful” for taking the video. According to a press release from the United States Department of Justice, Ryan in one video recorded himself saying, “We knocked down the gates! We’re storming the Capitol! You can’t stop us!”
“Ryan never went into the Capitol,” Jeff told EverythingLubbock.com. “He never fought with Capitol Police.”
Jeff said Ryan was a Texas Tech media student at the time of the insurrection. The father, a congressional candidate from Arizona, expressed frustration and said his son was “accused of doing things he did not do.”
“They basically convicted him of being a conservative republican that voted for Trump,” Jeff said.
Jeff said only a few people charged in the insurrection have been able to get their charges dropped. He said other people who did similar things on January 6 faced lesser charges than his son did, calling it unfair. He said his team has already filed an appeal.
“Even hate speech is protected speech,” Jeff said. “And that is grounds now to throw somebody in jail.”
The USDOJ said after January 6, Ryan wrote to an associate about his involvement in the riots, in part, “Broke down the doors pushed Congress out of session, I took two flash bangs.”
Zink was found guilty on Friday of aiding and abetting, a felony offense and two misdemeanor offenses entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
Ryan’s sentencing was scheduled for December 18.
