A 55-year-old man from New York has been apprehended for his involvement in assaulting law enforcement during the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to a report by Law and Crime on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
Identified as James Weeks, 55, authorities have levied felony charges against him, including counts of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.
These charges stem from his purported participation in the riots that disrupted the joint session of the U.S. Congress, where electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election were being tallied.
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The unrest unfolded during a “Stop the Steal” rally.
Apart from the felony charges, Weeks, 55, also faces multiple misdemeanor offenses, as outlined by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
These misdemeanors encompass destruction of government property, aiding and abetting, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence on grounds or buildings.
These legal actions compound Weeks’ situation following his alleged involvement in the events of the Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.
According to prosecutors, Weeks was positively identified in U.S. Capitol building CCTV footage and body-worn camera recordings on the Capitol grounds during the “Stop the Steal” rally led by former President Donald Trump.
In one video, officials claim Weeks, sporting a purple baseball cap, can be seen identifying himself.
At approximately 3:02 p.m., Weeks entered the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where some of the most violent clashes with law enforcement occurred that day, authorities noted.
Within the tunnel, he allegedly reached through a shattered window of a door, directed profanities at an officer, and threatened physical harm.
Weeks then reportedly moved towards the Senate Wing Door, where he positioned himself alongside others engaged in breaching the Capitol.
Another individual climbed onto the windowsill and began striking it, while a woman used the end of a flagpole to hit the window.
Amid chants of “Traitors!” from the crowd, a rioter ultimately kicked a hole in the window.
