An Illinois man entered a guilty plea for his involvement in the violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, a day that saw a joint Congressional session thrown into chaos as they worked to certify the 2020 presidential election results. William Lewis, a 57-year-old from Burbank, Illinois, admitted to assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Detailed in court documents Lewis, after attending the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally, clashed with officers at the Capitol’s West Plaza, which was swarmed by rioters, and by attacking the police with wasp and hornet spray, he forced at least one officer out of the line to seek treatment; another suffered a burning sensation on their face and eyes. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras is set to sentence Lewis on December 18, 2024, which may include a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.

Following the incident at the West Plaza, Lewis continued his assaultive behavior—using a stolen police baton, he shattered three window panes at the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol, as the DOJ documents describe. Lewis's capture came on November 9, 2023, by the FBI in his Illinois hometown and it was noted that the offices in both Chicago and Washington played key roles in his identification and arrest; he was listed as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) AFO (Assault on Federal Officer) #283.

Since the events that shook the nation more than 40 months ago, charges have been brought against over 1,424 people from almost every state for their roles in the Capitol breach, including upwards of 500 individuals facing felonies for assaulting or impeding law enforcement, the Justice Department reports, with the FBI continuing to accept tips through their hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI or through their website at tips.fbi.gov.