Remembering January 6, 2021, One Year Later

January 6, 2021, a single day that threatened democracy

Who could forget that day? January 6, 2021. It is a day that changed America. The images of the assault on officers and thugs breaching the U.S. Capitol are forever seared into our minds.

President Biden and Vice President Harris will speak on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the insurrection at the Capitol, the White House announced Sunday.

Hundreds of pro-Trump rioters stormed the complex that day, overwhelming law enforcement and seeking to stop the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.

Biden has repeatedly referred to the insurrection as a dark day in U.S. history, condemned the rioters and thanked the Capitol Police who were on the scene.

Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted Jan. 6 at the Capitol including about 80 U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Thursday, January 6, 2022, marks one year since the attack on the U.S. Capitol that upended a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results.

The government continues to investigate losses that resulted from the breach of the Capitol, including damage to the Capitol building and grounds, both inside and outside the building. According to a May 2021 estimate by the Architect of the Capitol, the attack caused approximately $1.5 million worth of damage to the U.S. Capitol building.

Under the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the attack continues to move forward at an unprecedented speed and scale. The Department of Justice has resolved to hold accountable those who committed crimes on Jan. 6, 2021. Its resolve has not waned.

The Capitol riots have been in the news for the past year. It is sometimes difficult to tell where things stand.

Based on the public court documents, below is a snapshot of the investigation as of Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. Complete versions of most of the public court documents used to compile these statistics are available on the Capitol Breach Investigation Resource Page by clicking here.

Arrests made: More than 725 defendants have been arrested in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (This includes those charged in both District and Superior Court).

Criminal charges:

• More than 225 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including over 75 individuals who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
• Approximately 10 individuals have been arrested on a series of charges that relate to assaulting a member of the media, or destroying their equipment, on Jan. 6.
• Approximately 640 defendants have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds. More than 75 defendants have been charged with entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
• More than 45 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and over 30 defendants have been charged with theft of government property.
• At least 275 defendants have been charged with corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding, or attempting to do so.
• Approximately 40 defendants have been charged with conspiracy, either: (a) conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding, (b) conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement during a civil disorder, (c) conspiracy to injure an officer, or (d) some combination of the three.

Pleas:

• Approximately 165 individuals have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal charges, from misdemeanors to felony obstruction, many of whom will face incarceration at sentencing.
• Approximately 145 have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors. Twenty have pleaded guilty to felonies.
  Six of those who have pleaded guilty to felonies have pleaded to charges related to assaults on law enforcement. Four face statutory maximums of 20 years or more in prison as well as potential financial penalties. Two face statutory maximums of eight years in prison as well as potential financial penalties.

Sentencings:

Approximately 70 federal defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their criminal activity on Jan. 6. Thirty-one have been sentenced to periods of incarceration. Eighteen have been sentenced to a period of home detention, and the other defendants have been sentenced to probation with no term of incarceration.

Public Assistance:
Citizens from around the country have provided invaluable assistance in identifying individuals in connection with the Jan. 6 attack. The FBI continues to seek the public’s help in identifying more than 350 individuals believed to have committed violent acts on the Capitol grounds, including over 250 who assaulted police officers.

Additionally, the FBI currently has 16 videos of suspects wanted for violent assaults on federal officers and one video of two suspects wanted for assaults on members of the media on January 6th and is seeking the public’s help to identify them. For images and video of the attackers, please click here. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.