A man from Pennsylvania has officially admitted to his role in the violent January 6 Capitol breach. Joshua Lee Atwood, a 31-year-old from Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to felony charges of assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, his sentencing is December 20.
Atwood was among the multitude who attended the "Stop the Steal" rally before and made their way to confront law enforcement forcibly. The DOJ notes that Atwood took part in "violent attacks against law enforcement" at the Capitol's Lower West Terrace Tunnel. He was observed throwing various objects at the officers, using a wooden pole and a riot shield to assault the police line aggressively, and deploying pepper spray against them, as detailed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Detailed court documents reveal Atwood's aggressive actions included hurling items such as a metal pole, a baseball bat, and a heavy speaker at officers, hitting them and their shields. In the crescendo of the assault, "Atwood drew a canister of pepper spray and continuously sprayed the officers guarding the Tunnel entrance until the canister was depleted," the Department of Justice stated. After emptying the canister, he threw it at the police, along with additional objects. During the attack, Atwood also shouted profanities and accused the officers of betraying their country.
The FBI arrested Atwood on April 17, identifying him as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #229. His case, prosecuted by the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office with help from the Capitol and local police, shows the comprehensive effort to hold people accountable for the Capitol breach. Since the incident, more than 1,488 people have been charged with crimes related to disrupting the Congressional session, counting the 2020 presidential election votes.
