A Mississippi man was arrested on Tuesday and charged with both felony and misdemeanor offenses for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. Thomas Eugene Tatum, 48, from Greenville, faces charges including civil disorder, a felony, as well as misdemeanors such as entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. His initial court appearance occurred in the Northern District of Mississippi, following his arrest in Oxford.

Federal authorities have alleged that Tatum was a part of the mob that disrupted the Congressional session meant to certify the 2020 election results. Court documents, quoted by the U.S. Department of Justice, claim Tatum can be seen in police footage "repeatedly berating and taunting" officers. He has also been accused to have directly confronted law enforcement, contributing to their forced retreat with actions such as pointing a flagpole at them.

Additional video evidence places Tatum on Capitol grounds later on the day of the riot, where he reportedly joined others in a violent clash at the Capitol's Tunnel entrance. Footage from the Capitol CCTV system revealed that he was among the rioters making concerted pushes against the police blockade, subsequently being expelled from the area by officers.

This case is part of a wider crackdown on the January 6 rioters, with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section leading the prosecution. Assistance was provided by both local and federal law enforcement agencies. To date, more than 1,450 individuals have been charged in relation to the Capitol breach, with the FBI's Jackson, Mississippi and Washington Field Offices playing a major investigative role. The Department of Justice notes that the operation to bring all responsible to account is still ongoing.