Virginia Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A Virginia man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 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.

            Jared Miller, 37, of Chesapeake, Virginia, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to the felonies, Miller is charged with multiple misdemeanor offenses, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; obstruct, or impede passage through or within, the grounds or any of the Capitol buildings; and violent entry and disorderly conduct.

            Miller was arrested on Aug. 23, 2023, in Chesapeake, Virginia and made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia.

            According to court documents, Miller attended a rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, and afterward walked to the United States Capitol building, where he entered the restricted grounds on the west side. Miller then joined a mob that had broken through multiple barriers and police lines. Soon, the mob, including Miller, became increasingly hostile towards United States Capital Police (USCP) officers, pushing officers back to the base of the Inaugural stage.

            At approximately 1:12 p.m., several units of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrived at the West Plaza to assist USCP officers in crowd control. Miller and other rioters were held back behind bike rack barriers as MPD and USCP set up a line to prevent rioters from advancing. At about 1:16 p.m., the north side of the police line was breached by rioters. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) captured Miller joining this breach, first as he pushed an unidentified MDP officer and then he shoved an officer as the officer attempted to rejoin the police line.

            At 1:21 p.m., Miller is seen on body-worn cameras dragging a bike rack away from the northern side of the police lines. Miller then re-engaged with police, striking both USCP and MPD officers and driving barricades back into the police lines. Miller then grabbed an adjacent barricade and ripped it from unidentified MPD and USCP officers, who were pulled away with the barrier before regaining control. Miller is also captured on BWC as he reached over the barriers to hit officers before walking away from that portion of the police line.

            Miller eventually walked to the center of the West Plaza police line and is captured on body-worn camera footage tossing a water bottle at MPD officers. Miller remained on the restricted grounds, eventually making his way to the Lower West Terrace after the West Plaza police line was overrun at about 1:36 p.m.  

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk and Washington Field Offices, which identified Miller as BOLO (Be On the Lookout) #151 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 31 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,106 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.