Alabama man was among 4 who died during siege on US Capitol

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — One of the four people who died during the siege on the U.S. Capitol was a 55-year-old Alabama man who was an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.

District of Columbia police said Kevin D. Greeson, of Athens, died of a medical emergency during the fracas on Wednesday at the Capitol.

Officials did not release additional details about Greeson’s cause of death or say where he collapsed, but family members said he had a history of high blood pressure and suffered a heart attack.

In a family statement emailed from his wife Kristi, the family described Greeson as a Trump backer but maintained he was not there to participate in the rioting inside the Capitol. The family said they are devastated by the loss.

“Kevin was an advocate of President Trump and attended the event on January 6, 2020 to show his support. He was excited to be there to experience this event — he was not there to participate in violence or rioting, nor did he condone such actions,” the family said.

An account featuring a profile photo of Greeson and his name became more active after the election on Parler, a social media platform favored by some Trump supporters. A week ago, it echoed a message by a militia group and added: “I’m in.. call me I have guns and ammo!”

“Kevin was a wonderful father and husband who loved life. He loved to ride motorcycles, he loved his job and his coworkers, and he loved his dogs,” the family’s statement said.

Another north Alabama man, Lonnie Coffman of Falkville, is facing charges of carrying a pistol without a license and having an unregistered gun and ammunition, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement. The agency initially released Coffman’s last name as “Zoffman” but corrected the error.

Coffman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.