An Ohio man, David Valentine, 46, of Wilmington, was recently apprehended on a slew of charges connected to his purported involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Arrested in Milwaukee yesterday, Valentine faces allegations including a felony charge of civil disorder, among others, as the U.S. Department of Justice reported.
According to his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Valentine's also accused of misdemeanors encompassing entering a restricted building unlawfully, impeding government proceedings, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. While the officers were attacked with a large sign at around 1:40 p.m. during the disorder, Valentine shoved a "Trump 2020" sign against them as a battering ram, the xcharging documents allege.
The documents further reveal that Valentine was spotted on the Capitol grounds, breaching a line of officers, climbing an inaugural stage, and allegedly tampering with wires using a folding knife. Outside of the U.S. Capitol's Lower West Terrace Doors, or the Tunnel, which witnessed some of the day's most severe clashes, Valentine emerged among the rioters, who collectively attempted to overpower the line of defense mobilized by law enforcement.
Late in the afternoon, as the conflict reached a crescendo around 5:00 p.m., rioters including Valentine were pushed back by a chemical deterrent when they endeavored to push past the officers within the Tunnel. In the 43 months that have passed since the Capitol breach, more than 1,488 individuals stand charged over incidents connected to that day, with nearly 550 facing allegations of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement, as the Justice Department details.
With nationwide investigations led by the FBI's Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices, assisted by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department, federal authorities continue to diligently follow leads and apprehend suspects implicated in January 6. As conveyed by the prosecution efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section, the legal aftermath of the incident endures, marking one of the most extensive inquiries into a singular event in recent history.
