Bethesda man joins ranks of those arrested for assaulting police during January 6 Capitol riot

(Steven Patrick Cook, circled inn red, Image credit: U.S. Capitol Police CCTV)

A Maryland man pleaded guilty on Thursday to assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Steven Patrick Cook, 24, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, both felonies. U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden will sentence Cook on July 19, 2024.

According to court papers, on January 6, 2021, Cook, along with other rioters, broke through the police line on the west side of the U.S. Capitol building, within the restricted area, at approximately 2:28 p.m. Cook then proceeded to assault at least one U.S. Capitol Police Officer and a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Officer.

Cook reportedly pushed between and against police officers to further break the line and repeatedly grabbed at police officers’ batons and swung his closed fist at their heads. Police later retreated toward the U.S. Capitol building and began protecting the Lower West Terrace Tunnel entrance. The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6. Rioters at the Tunnel battled police officers for hours as they attempted to storm the Capitol building.

At 3:02 p.m., Cook took a gas mask from a nearby rioter, put the gas mask on his head, and pushed his way to the front of the mob of rioters inside the Tunnel. Court documents say that Cook then bull-rushed his way, head-first, toward the police in an attempt to break the police line. During his attack of the officers, Cook made physical contact with at least one MPD officer and grabbed the baton of another.

At 3:05 p.m., Cook left the Tunnel only to return a short while later where he and other rioters pushed against a line of police officers. At 4:08 p.m., Cook left the area. The FBI arrested Cook on September 16, 2023, in Maryland.

In the 38 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 486 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. For more on the January 6, 2021 riot inside the U.S. Capitol, see the video accompanying this article.

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(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, and, Statement of Facts)
(Cover photo, Steven Patrick Cook with Capitol Riot in background, Image credit: U.S. Capitol Police CCTV)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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