A Michigan man, identified as 42-year-old Nathan Thornsberry of North Branch, has been taken into custody on charges including felony obstruction and assaulting law enforcement, in relation to his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, the Department of Justice announced.
The arrest brought to light once more the disruptive events of that day which saw extremists storm the Capitol, undercutting a pivotal moment in the peaceful transfer of power — a moment for Congress to certify the election results, Thornsberry is facing four misdemeanor charges alongside the felonies, these include entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct, an act of physical violence on restricted grounds, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
Thornsberry was picked up by the FBI in Davison, Michigan and made his first court appearance in the Eastern District of Michigan, "Beginning at approximately 2:06 p.m. EST, Thornsberry was captured on police body-worn camera footage participating in the crowd's attempts to breach the manned police line by pushing metal bike-rack barriers against police officers in the area," according to court documents cited in the DOJ's press release.
The case against Thornsberry is part of a larger prosecutorial effort that, over the past 43 months, has led to the charging of more than 1,488 individuals nationwide for crimes connected to the Capitol riot and out of those, nearly 550 have been charged with felonies for assaulting or impeding law enforcement, the DOJ also illuminated how the case is receiving key assistance from offices in the District of Columbia and Michigan, with the ongoing investigation spearheaded by the FBI's Detroit and Washington field offices, supported by Capitol and Metropolitan Police.
