A man from Tennessee found himself with a 20-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of assaulting law enforcement during the infamous Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement. Joshua John Portlock, 42, of Smyrna, faced justice for his role in the violent events that disrupted a Congressional session meant to certify the 2020 presidential election results.

Court papers uncovered that Portlock, alongside other rioters, charged police barricades near the Capitol building, interrupting the peace and sending law enforcement scrambling to establish new lines of defense, but the mob, undeterred, continued its onslaught resulting in officers being temporarily overpowered. Portlock's aggression didn't stop at the barricades; he was also seen forcefully using plywood against officers and facilitating fellow rioters by passing them stolen police shields during what is described as one of the most violent confrontations in the Tunnel area of the Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols handed down the sentence, which also includes a period of 24 months of supervised release and a $2,000 restitution fee, after Portlock had admitted his guilt on August 31, 2023, for assault on a federal officer, a felony charge with serious implications. The Department of Justice emphasized the progress of the investigation, noting that in the 39 months since the Capitol siege, over 1,387 individuals have faced charges for their involvement.

Government agencies continue to collaborate in order to serve justice to those involved in the January 6 events, with over 493 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement till date, the full weight of the law is gradually being brought to bear on those who sought to undermine the democratic process. The FBI's Memphis and Washington Field Offices fronted the investigation into Portlock's actions, with U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department also chipping in on the case.