KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Federal charges have been filed against a man who authorities say assaulted officers and broke into the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.
Brett Rotella, 34, was arrested on Tuesday and made his first appearance in a federal court in Washington on Wednesday. Rotella is charged with obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, assaulting officers, and several misdemeanor charges, including entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Court documents say Rotella pushed a police barricade at Metropolitan Police officers around 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6 and later led people to chase retreating officers up the stairs of the Capitol. Rotella was wearing a red skull cap, a black sleeveless puffy vest over a red sleeveless shirt, and white long shorts during the riot, according to court documents.
Police retreated to a tunnel near the Capitol's entrance and locked two sets of doors to the building's entrance, according to court documents. Rioters then smashed the glass of the doors and opened them. Rotella was seen opening one of the doors, according to court documents. Rotella then entered the Capitol. He was the second rioter to do so, according to court documents.
Rotella then joined other rioters who were fighting police officers. He grabbed a police riot shield during a struggle with police, according to court documents.
After being sprayed with OC spray, Rotella left the tunnel. He was later seen in a group pushing against a police line outside of the Capitol, according to court documents.
This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division. The investigation is being handled by the FBI's Charlotte and Washington offices.
More than 1,100 people have been arrested across the country for charges relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.