Another Florida man arrested in connection with January 6 attack on the Capitol
On May 18, another Florida man was arrested for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, an attack that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of counting the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Daniel Paul Gray, 41, of Neptune Beach, Florida, was charged with federal offenses connected to the insurrection. According to First Coast News, Gray is looking at charges that include:
- Obstruction of Justice/Congress,
- Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building of Grounds Without Lawful Authority,
- Knowingly Engaging in Disorderly or Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds,
- Engaging in Acts of Physical Violence Against any Person or Property in any Restricted Building,
- Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds,
- Engaging in an Act of Physical Violence in the Grounds of any of the Capitol Buildings,
- Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building,
- Forcibly Assault, Resist, Oppose, Impede, Intimidate or Interfere with a Designated Person While that Person is Engaged in the Performance of Official Duties, and
- Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder
To date, at least 493 people have been charged in the Capitol insurrection; and at least 24 of the insurrectionists are Floridians. The January 6 attack on the Capitol left five dead and had congressional lawmakers running for their lives.
According to the Criminal Complaint filed against him, Gray was inside the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, during which, among other things, he engaged in confrontations against law enforcement officers attempting to prevent rioters from entering the rotunda. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) body worn camera (BWC) footage captures Gray involved in an altercation with police at approximately 3:01 p.m. that resulted in an MPD officer falling down the western rotunda stairs and becoming visibly injured.
Gray also posted a four-minute video to his Instagram account where he appears to be walking through an airport and describing his activities at the Capitol on January 6. In the video, Gray bragged that:
“we start pushing the police out the back of the Capitol; we pushed them from the front to the back of the Capitol.” He described how the group arrived at the staircase and started “pushing them [the police] down the staircase,” and also said “this is far from over, that was the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life and stay tuned.” In social media messages Gray sent after Jan. 6, he further boasts, “Lol I was one of the first in the capital.”
In the first 120 days after the January 6 insurrection, approximately 440 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol breach, including over 125 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips regarding the insurrection can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. For more on Gray’s arrest, see the video accompanying this article.
(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
