A Wyoming man has been found guilty on seven charges, including two felony offenses, for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Douglas Harrington, 69, of Bedford, was convicted of assaulting law enforcement with a flagpole and causing civil disorder, among other charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg handed down the verdict, setting Harrington's sentencing for Nov. 5.
Evidence presented at trial depicted a scene where Harrington, equipped with a military-style backpack and carrying American and Trump 2020 flags, charged at police officers with the bottom of his flagpole. The chaos unfolded on the Capitol grounds as Congress convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results. An assault that served as a flashpoint amid the broader tumult of that infamous day.
The trial included details of Harrington’s confrontation with the police. He brandished provocative gestures towards officers, shortly followed by a strike of his flagpole. The attack drew a response of chemical irritants from law enforcement, but it did not deter Harrington, who proceeded to swing his flagpole at a distracted officer's helmet and hand. His continued aggression and attempts to block the officer's vision with an opaque material culminated in Harrington resisting removal from the Capitol grounds, as documented by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The arrest of Harrington on Aug. 8, 2023, was part of a broader law enforcement effort that has seen over 1,470 individuals charged in connection to the Capitol breach. More than 530 of these individuals face serious allegations of assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI's investigation into the events of Jan. 6 continues as they work to hold all perpetrators accountable. Harrington's case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
As the nation approaches the three-and-a-half-year mark since the breach, the Justice Department's pursuit of justice sustains. Harrington, identified by the FBI as BOLO #470, stands as one individual among the many whose actions have been brought to bear before the court. While the prosecution wraps up this case, it signals an undiminished resolve to confront the unprecedented events of that day.
