Arlington man charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — An Arlington, Texas, man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots from more than two years ago, and now faces charges including assaulting a police officer. 

Jason Farris, 44, was charged in Washington, D.C. with assaulting, restricting or impeding officers; interfering with officers during a civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds and physical violence in a restricted building. 

Court documents state that Farris was at the front of a mob at the lower west plaza of the Capitol, a location restricted from lawful public access. Officers had set up barricades at the location to prevent rioters from advancing further. 

At about 2:15 p.m., Farris reportedly stated to officers, “I bet your family is proud of you, f**king f**got a**. You ain’t s**t. Ain’t none of you s**t.” 

As he said this, he reportedly struck the baton held by one officer with his hand. 

Other rioters attempted to pull the bicycle racks used as barricades away from the officers, but the officers held onto them. Farris reportedly approached a Capitol police officer holding onto the rack and shoved him in the back, knocking him to the ground. After this, other rioters reportedly pulled the rack away. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistance in filing the charges was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. 

More than 985 individuals have been arrested in almost all 50 states in the 25 months since the Capitol riot for crimes related to it.