Derrick Evans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theWest Virginia House of Delegates from the 19th district | |
| In office December 1, 2020 – January 9, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Thompson Kenneth Hicks |
| Succeeded by | Joshua Booth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jonathan Derrick Evans (1985-04-02)April 2, 1985 (age 40) Prichard, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 2016) Libertarian (2016–2020) Republican (2020–present) |
| Spouse | Melissa Evans |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Marshall University West Liberty University (BA) |
Jonathan Derrick Evans (born April 2, 1985[1]) is an American politician and convicted felon who served as a member of theWest Virginia House of Delegates for the 19th district from December 1, 2020, to January 9, 2021. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election toWest Virginia's 1st congressional district in2024.
Evans participated in theJanuary 6 attack against theU.S. Capitol. He was arrested two days after the attack and resigned from the House of Delegates the next day. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to afelony charge ofcivil disorder and was sentenced to 90 days in prison. He waspardoned by PresidentDonald Trump on January 20, 2025, along with nearly every other participant in the Capitol attack.
Evans is a native ofPrichard, West Virginia. After attendingMarshall University for one year, he earned a bachelor's degree fromWest Liberty University.[2]
Evans worked as a high school teacher and football coach inWayne County, coaching football atTolsia High School from 2013 to 2017.[3] In January 2017, he was hired to be an assistant quarterback coach for theVirginia Tech Hokies football team.[4]
Before pursuing elected office, Evans was known as a confrontational localanti-abortion protester who, over the course of 2018 and 2019, harassed patients, staff, andvolunteer escorts at the only clinic in West Virginia that performed abortions. Evans wouldlivestream himself confronting people outside the clinic to tens of thousands of viewers. In addition to shouting abuse, Evans would livestream himself repeating clinic workers' names over and over and screaming their personal details. His activities prompted the clinic to put up a 10-foot high fence and alert police.[5] Evans' harassment led a woman to file for and receive arestraining order over "many threats to my safety online and relentless harassment in person"; Evans subsequently violated the order.[6]
Evans also frequently appeared at theWest Virginia State Capitol, where he took photographs and videos of state legislators. Democratic State DelegateDanielle Walker said that Evans referred to her as "satanic" and equated her support forLGBTQ rights to defendingpedophilia.[5]
In 2016, Evans ran to represent the 19th district in theWest Virginia House of Delegates. Initially Evans ran as aDemocrat, but finished sixth in the primary. In the general election, Evans refiled to be on the ballot as aLibertarian; he was unable to win one of the district's two seats. In2020, Evans ran once again as aRepublican advancing through the primary and winning a seat in the general election.[7]
Evans was embroiled in controversy during his 2020 campaign stemming from his membership in aFacebook group chat in whichhomophobic andIslamophobic language was used. Fellow DelegateJohn Mandt, an alleged participant in the group chat, claimed that the messages attributed to him were fabricated but nonetheless announced his resignation. Evans not only confirmed his own participation in the group chat, but said that he stood by his comments callingNihad Awad a "terrorist".[8]
| January 6 United States Capitol attack |
|---|
| Timeline •Planning |
| Background |
2020 presidential election and other causes |
| Participants |
|
| Aftermath |
On December 25, 2023, Evans posted onX, formerly known as Twitter, a photo of a Christmas tree with ornaments of figures such asJoseph Biden,Kamala Harris, andAnthony Fauci with nooses on the figure's necks, along with a figure ofDonald Trump who did not possess one. Evans later deleted the post after backlash from other commentators, stating that it was "[n]ot in good taste" and that it was not his tree or ornaments.[9][10]
After announcing plans for a run in January 2023,[11] Evans challenged incumbent CongresswomanCarol Miller in the2024 Republican primary. He used his involvement in theJanuary 6 Capitol attack as a campaign selling point, but ultimately lost the primary to Miller.[12] In November 2024, Evans announced his campaign forUnited States Senate, challenging incumbent SenatorShelley Moore Capito in the2026 primary.[13] He withdrew from the Senate race in June 2025, instead seeking to again challenge Miller in the2026 Republican primary.[14]
Evans participated in the protest at theUnited States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Social media posts by Evans depict him traveling toWashington, D.C., with a busload of fellowDonald Trump supporters.[15][16]
TheAssociated Press notes that in a video of Evans as he was attempting to breach the Capitol, he also could be heard chanting Trump's name repeatedly.[15] Evans subsequently denied involvement in any destruction of property that took place during the riot, claiming that he was "simply there as an independent member of the media to film history."[17]
Evans crossed the downed fence and entered the Capitol building, filming himself shouting "We're in, we're in. Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!" He continued, "We're in! Keep it moving, baby!" and, later, "Our house!" Inside the Capitol halls he said, "I don't know where we're going. I'm following the crowd."[18][19]
His actions were condemned by West Virginia's state House SpeakerRoger Hanshaw, state House Minority LeaderDoug Skaff, U.S. SenatorJoe Manchin, and GovernorJim Justice.[19][17]
Two days later, Evans was arrested[20] and charged with one count of "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority" and one count of "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds."[21][22][23]
Evans resigned on January 10, 2021, saying, "I take full responsibility for my actions."[24][25]
He pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanor charges in May 2021.[26] In July 2021, agrand jury returned a five-count indictment against Evans, including the four previously charged misdemeanors and a new felony charge,obstructing an official proceeding andaiding or abetting.[26] Negotiation of a possible plea agreement was ongoing in August 2021.[27] On February 3, 2022, the day before Evans was supposed to appear in court for a hearing, Evans struck a plea agreement and lawyers asked the court for a hearing later in the month without releasing the terms of the plea agreement.[28][29]
On March 18, 2022, Evans pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder stemming from the Capitol riot.[30] Evans was sentenced to three months in prison on June 22, 2022.[16] He reported to federal prison on July 25, 2022.[31] He was held at theFederal Correctional Institution, Milan inMilan, Michigan, through October 23, 2022.[11]
In 2023, Evans renounced his admissions of guilt for his actions on January 6, claiming to be a victim of political persecution and labeling himself as a "J6 Patriot" shortly after announcing his candidacy for aUnited States House of Representatives seat.[32] Evans also made an appearance atCPAC 2023. Alongside fellow riotersBrandon Straka andSimone Gold, he was a speaker at a session titled "True Stories of January 6: The Prosecuted Speak."[33]
On January 20, 2025, after beginning hissecond term in office, President Trumpissued pardons to Evans and roughly 1,500 other individuals charged with crimes connected to January 6th. Evans celebrated the pardon onX (formerly Twitter), writing: "Praise the Lord. We won. My name is cleared. I have my rights back. I have my life back."[34]
Evans and his wife Melissa have three children and live inWayne County, West Virginia.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Thompson | 2,603 | 23.32 | |
| Democratic | Kenneth Hicks (incumbent) | 2,191 | 19.63 | |
| Democratic | Ric Griffith | 1,992 | 17.84 | |
| Democratic | Matt McComas | 1,316 | 11.79 | |
| Democratic | Gary Michels | 1,151 | 10.31 | |
| Democratic | Derrick Evans | 1,148 | 10.28 | |
| Democratic | Matt Stroud | 763 | 6.83 | |
| Total votes | 11,164 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Thompson | 6,152 | 28.87 | |
| Democratic | Kenneth Hicks (incumbent) | 4,998 | 23.45 | |
| Republican | Mark Ross | 4,787 | 22.46 | |
| Republican | John D. Creamer | 3,493 | 16.39 | |
| Libertarian | Derrick Evans | 1,881 | 8.83 | |
| Total votes | 21,311 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Derrick Evans | 2,189 | 50.21 | |
| Republican | Jason Stephens | 1,090 | 25.00 | |
| Republican | E. Jay Marcum | 1,081 | 24.79 | |
| Total votes | 4,360 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Derrick Evans | 8,227 | 37.30 | |
| Democratic | Ric Griffith | 5,520 | 25.03 | |
| Republican | Jason Stephens | 4,192 | 19.01 | |
| Democratic | David Thompson | 4,115 | 18.66 | |
| Total votes | 22,054 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Carol Miller (incumbent) | 65,357 | 62.95 | |
| Republican | Derrick Evans | 38,473 | 37.05 | |
| Total votes | 103,830 | 100.00 | ||