From The Tribune staff reports
WASHINGTON — Yesterday, an Ohio man was arrested in Alabama for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
According to court documents, Thomas was on the Upper West Terrace at 4:22 p.m. where he was captured on Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) body-worn camera (BWC) footage advancing toward a line of law enforcement and pushing against their shields. As depicted in the footage, Thomas punched and struck the officers with his fist and forearm at least twice.
At 4:26 p.m., officers began to dispel the crowd of rioters from the steps. Thomas turned toward rioters and ordered them to “hold the line” against advancing officers, repeating this several times. In subsequent interviews, law enforcement officers confirmed the attack and stated the individual “was one of the first to come in and start hitting [and] pushing officers on the line.”
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, who identified Thomas as #214 on their seeking information photos, as well as the MPD, with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.
In the first 120 days after Jan. 6, approximately 440 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol breach, including more than 125 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.