A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to four years in prison for assaulting law enforcement officers with a weapon during the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Joshua Lee Atwood, aged 31 from Burgettstown, was also given three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss.
Atwood had previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon. According to court documents, he traveled from his home to Washington, D.C., to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally on January 6th. He later joined others at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel of the Capitol building where violent confrontations occurred.
During these events, Atwood threw various objects at police officers including a plastic bottle and metal pole which struck officers. He used a wooden pole to strike riot shields and an officer's helmet before throwing it at them. Additionally, Atwood sprayed pepper spray at officers until it was depleted and then threw more items such as a baseball bat and plastic bottle.
At one point, Atwood used a police riot shield against officers while shouting derogatory remarks: “F— off, you guys are all pieces of s—," among other statements expressing disdain for their actions.
The FBI arrested Atwood on April 17, 2024. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia along with assistance from other divisions including the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The investigation involved contributions from multiple agencies including the FBI’s Pittsburgh and Washington Field Offices as well as support from the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department.
Since January 6th, over 1,572 individuals have been charged across nearly all states for crimes related to this incident with more than 590 facing charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Anyone with information regarding these events is encouraged to contact authorities through provided channels.