Capitol Riot: Florida man arrested on felony charges of assaulting an officer, setting off an explosive, more
It’s been more than two years since Trump supporters rioted and stormed the U.S. Capitol trying to overthrow a U.S. presidential election, and the government is still making arrests in that historic insurrection. Most recently, on May 2, the Department of Justice announced that a Florida man has been arrested on felony charges which include assaulting a law enforcement officer and setting off an explosive device during the breach of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The actions of this latest individual to be arrested and charged – along with the actions of others that day – disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that had convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Daniel Ball, 38, of Homosassa Florida, has been charged with the felony offenses of:
- assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon;
- using fire or an explosive to commit any felony;
- obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder;
- entering or remaining on restricted grounds without lawful authority to do so while carrying or using a deadly or dangerous weapon;
- knowingly engaging in any act of physical violence while carrying or using a deadly or dangerous weapon; and
- disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds while carrying or using a deadly or dangerous weapon.
Ball was also charged with the misdemeanor offenses of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; acts of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; and stealing government property.
According to the DoJ, Ball entered the Capitol at 3:29 p.m. through the Senate Wing door. While inside, he pried a large, linear broken piece of a wooden shutter from a window in the Senate connecting corridor before exiting the building. Ball then joined other rioters on the Lower West Terrace on the nearly completed inaugural stage.
From outside the Lower West Terrace Entrance, Ball worked with other rioters to violently push against fully uniformed police officers attempting to keep individuals out of the Capitol Building.
When that attempt was unsuccessful, Ball moved back into the crowd and threw an explosive device into the entranceway.
An Explosives and Hazardous Devices Examiner with the Federal Bureau of Investigations was unable to conclusively identify the precise dimensions, charge size, or whether the device thrown was improvised or commercially manufactured. But based on reviewing the various video angles that captured the explosive the expert was able to conclude that the device was capable of inflicting damage to surrounding property as well as seriously injuring persons in the vicinity of the resultant explosion.
Several officers were injured as a result of the explosion.
In the 27 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested from nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the United States Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia) / (Cover photo, Daniel Ball at Capitol Riot, Image credit: Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
