On Friday, a Mt. Juliet man landed in FBI custody for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot that occurred on January 6, 2021, as per federal authorities. The man, identified as Nicholas Smotherman, 41, was apprehended in Hermitage, a detail confirmed by documents from the U.S. Attorney's Office for Middle Tennessee detailed in a release and reported by WSMV.
Charges against Smotherman evoke the gravity of that dark day's chaos, listing "felony offenses of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers," alongside multiple misdemeanors, per WSMV. Forensically placed at the calamitous scene by police body camera footage, Smotherman's accused actions resemble those of an individual, deep into the harrows of insurrection. "Disorderly and disruptive conduct in restricted grounds or buildings, engaging in physical violence in restricted grounds or buildings, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings", are among the misdemeanors mentioned in the WKRN report.
A law enforcement narrative, punctuated by violence, cast Smotherman as a protestor who not only pushed through barricades but also assailed police officers directly. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated, "Smotherman is accused of pushing an officer with both hands as the group advanced through the police line," adding a disturbing color to his alleged involvement. This altercation escalated as Smotherman purportedly tried to snatch an officer's baton and resisted until he was repelled by pepper spray. This sequence of events was obtained from the WSMV coverage.
The wider context of Smotherman's case connects to a sprawling investigation following the January 6 insurrection. More than 1,470 individuals were charged with an array of offenses, including over 530 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement nationwide. On a social media hashtag that surfaced moments from the riot, #BatonNabber refers to the incident involving Smotherman and the police officer's baton, further reported by a post from Rocketman.
#BatonNabber ARRESTED for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his conduct during the #Jan6 coup
— Rocketman (@rocketman2001) August 2, 2024
Nicholas Waldon Smotherman of Mount Juliet, TN#FBI364-AFO#J6 #January6th #insurrectionist #Traitors #terrorist https://t.co/sP7jh6lERG pic.twitter.com/b9mOTjWc0Q
Awaiting his first court appearance in Middle Tennessee, Smotherman now faces the legal reckoning of his alleged defiance. The complexities of his case and the January 6 siege continue to unfold under the legal care of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
