A Granada Hills doctor has been arrested and now faces four criminal charges for his suspected role in the 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to federal court documents.
A former friend tipped off the FBI about Facebook posts Austin Brendlen Harris apparently made at the Capitol, according to an FBI special agent’s Jan. 23 affidavit. Body-worn cameras and surveillance footage were used to confirm Harris was in the Capitol that day, the affidavit said.
Harris faces two counts of disorderly conduct, one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in the District of Columbia. He was arrested Wednesday, Jan. 25, according to the court docket.
The affidavit includes several photographs of Harris at the Capitol and alleges that he was “encouraging rioters” to join him on the Upper West Terrace of the building, among other actions. Harris, an anesthesiologist, posted on Facebook he “was treating trauma patients at the capitol (sic) building” on Jan. 6, according to the affidavit.
“Does anyone know which hotels in DC the Trump supporters will be staying at for the DC rally Jan 6th?” read a post from Harris’s apparent Parler account, the affidavit said, adding that he arrived in Washington D.C. on Jan. 5 and left two days later.
It was not immediately clear when Harris was next due in court. He was released from federal custody Thursday, Jan. 26, according to federal records.
In August 2021, his medical license was revoked, according to state medical board records. However, the revocation was “stayed” and he was placed on five years probation. Among other conditions, the 2021 medical board decision ordered Harris to attend psychotherapy and undergo random drug and alcohol screenings. The board also ordered Harris to be supervised at work by a licensed physician or surgeon, the documents said.
The revocation occurred after a formal accusation was filed with the medical board in October 2020, following two incidents in 2019 where Harris apparently became “unresponsive” while providing in-hospital anesthesia. He tested negative for drugs and alcohol, according to the accusation document. Still, the document outlined “causes” for discipline, one of which referenced a 2019 DUI conviction in Riverside County.
Harris served 30 days in jail following the 2019 conviction, the records said, adding that he had been arrested on suspicion of DUI on two previous occasions.
As of Jan. 28, Harris is listed as the founder of a Sherman Oaks clinic called NeuroRelief. The clinic aims to treat patients “suffering from mental health, chronic pain, and addiction struggles” using the anesthetic ketamine, the website said.
Harris did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Staff writer Nathaniel Percy contributed to this report.
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