A San Antonio man was detained today on allegations stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Charged with both misdemeanor and felony counts, 26-year-old Steven Hassel faces accusations awaiting validation in court, as announced by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The complaint, filed in the District of Columbia, includes a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and four misdemeanors. Hassel about to begin a judiciary journey, was taken into custody by the FBI and made his initial appearance in the Western District of Texas.
Hassel was allegedly spotted by authorities amongst a throng of rioters dismantling bike rack barricades used by the police to manage the encroaching crowd on the Capitol grounds. "Hassel participated by grabbing one of the barriers, leaning back, and pulling on it forcibly several times in opposition to police officers," as the court documents claim.
Later faced with a reinforced police line on the Capitol's east steps, Hassel is then alleged to have encouraged others to follow him in a new attempt to breach the building. He stood with the crowd that eventually pushed past the police, chanting and exerting pressures to break through the doors of a symbol of America's democracy. The allegations extend to claims that Hassel entered the Capitol, making his way to the office of the Minority Leader, before exiting the premises shortly thereafter.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, supported by various federal and local law enforcement agencies, presses these charges. Over 1,488 individuals have been charged for their roles in the Capitol breach thus far, as reported by the DOJ, with the investigation persistently continuing. The public can provide tips to 1-800-CALL-FBI or the bureau's website.
While a complaint signals mere allegations, not a conviction, it brings Hassel into the legal fray of the Jan. 6 aftermath, awaiting the due process of law to determine guilt or innocence.
