A Florida resident has been apprehended and charged with multiple offenses, including assaulting law enforcement with a weapon, in connection to the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. The incident disrupted a joint session of Congress tasked with certifying the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
Joel Linn O’Donnell, aged 44 from Clearwater, Florida, faces seven charges as per a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia. These include assaulting officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon, obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder, and engaging in physical violence within restricted grounds.
O'Donnell also faces two misdemeanor charges related to disorderly conduct and physical violence within Capitol buildings or grounds. He was arrested by the FBI on December 19 in Clearwater and made his initial court appearance in Florida's Middle District.
Court documents state that O'Donnell attended a rally near Washington D.C.'s Ellipse before joining others marching toward the Capitol. Once there, he positioned himself at strategic points such as the Lower West Plaza and Upper West Terrace amidst rising tensions between rioters and police officers.
The complaint alleges that at approximately 4:54 p.m., O'Donnell advanced towards the Lower West Terrace Tunnel carrying large objects used against police officers. Further allegations indicate he returned armed with a baseball bat around 5:02 p.m., striking an officer's riot shield before retreating after riot control measures were deployed by police.
The case is being handled by prosecutors from both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Support has been provided by various law enforcement agencies including FBI field offices in Tampa and Washington.
Since January 6, over 1,572 individuals have been charged across nearly all states for crimes linked to the Capitol breach; more than 590 face felony charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers. Investigations continue into these events.
For tips related to this investigation, individuals can contact authorities via phone or online platforms provided by the FBI.
"A complaint is merely an allegation," authorities note, "and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."