Michigan man from Holt pleads guilty in Jan. 6 riot of assaulting officer
FILE - Tear gas is fired at supporters of President Trump who stormed the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
FOX 2 - A 41-year-old Michigan man has pleaded guilty for his part in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol nearly two years ago.
Logan James Barnhart, of Holt was part of the angry mob that stormed the Capitol and confronted law enforcement officers from the Lower West Terrace, according to court documents. Barnhart used the base of a flagpole to attack officers during the skirmish - after assisting the surge of protesters by pushing forward into the building against the officers' riot shields.
Barnhart took part in grappling with an officer, grabbing the neck of his armored vest and dragging him down steps with two other men, where other rioters attacked the officer with things like a flagpole, and a baton. Court documents say as a result, the officer sustained physical injuries, including bruising and abrasions.
Barnhart was arrested in Lansing, Michigan on Aug. 17, 2021. He is to be sentenced on March 9, 2023. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, as well as potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence.
Barnhart is among a group of defendants named in an indictment returned in the District of Columbia. Another defendant, Justin Jersey, 32, of Flint, Michigan, pleaded guilty on Sept. 7, 2022. Five others have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting further court proceedings.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)