An Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer during the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The man, 44, disappeared for several months after missing court appearances in Washington, D.C., last year. He was re-arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 13 and remained jailed until his guilty plea.
The man is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20. The estimated sentencing guidelines recommend a prison term ranging from 30 to 37 months, but the judge is not bound by that recommendation. His defense attorney stated that the man and his family are eager to move past this incident.
During the riot, the man approached a police line behind metal barricades, grabbed a Metropolitan Police Department officer, and attempted to pull him into the crowd of rioters. He also assaulted an Associated Press photographer by grabbing, dragging, and pushing him over a low stone wall outside the Capitol. The photographer, who was wearing identification as an AP journalist, was documenting the attack by a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters.
More than 100 police officers were injured during the riot, and over 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Of those charged, more than 800 have pleaded guilty, while approximately 200 others have been convicted by a judge or jury after trials.
