January 6 Attack on U.S. Capitol Building

"Pezzola was not the only person trying to break windows and forcibly enter the Capitol at that time, but he appears ... first to breach a window so successfully that he and other rioters could enter the Capitol through it."

"The defendant's actions show planning, determination, and co-ordination."

"[Pezzola filmed himself smoking a] victory cigar [in the Capitol building]."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Kenerson

"So instead they [Capitol Police] used their training to try and de-escalate the situation by talking with individuals in an attempt to calm them down."

"[The crowd refused, shouting] this is our house, this is our America [and] we're here for the corrupt government."

FBI Agent affidavit

Two members of the far-right Proud Boys were indicted in federal court Friday. Both men face a slew of charges for their participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.  Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

New court documents are revealing details gleaned by the F.B.I. through interviews and video examination relating to the January 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol by a violent mob that left five people dead, and over a hundred police officers injured. Two Missouri brothers have had a criminal complaint lodged against them and a prominent member of the Proud Boys, a detention memo; the documents detailing the initial period of the forced mob entry to the Capitol.

They serve as an explanation of how it was that a violent mob was able to overrun a small, poorly-defended line of Capital Police officers as prosecutors trace the actions of what are believed to be key instigators in the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Members of a far-right nationalist, nativist group with a history of violence -- the Proud Boys -- and other right-wing extremist groups have been heavily implicated.

 

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they push down barricades to storm the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol Police officers are quickly overwhelmed.  Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

Both surveillance video and social media have helped to identify Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola as one of the first to lead the charge outside and inside the Capitol, according to prosecutors. His actions helped to overwhelm police defences and enabled him personally to purloin an officer's riot shield. Pezzola was recognized as being among the first to charge and overwhelm a line of police behind a pedestrian gate on the west front Capitol grounds, leading the crowd to advance toward a second set of metal barricades at the west plaza.

There, Pezzola was flanked by a man wearing an American flag bandana who pulled away a part of the fence leaving a gap and allowing thousands of people to follow onto the Capital grounds toward unprotected police. He was also among the first to reach another police line at the base of the Capital. Pezzola was viewed on video pulling out a riot shield after a member of the mob was hit by a projectile, and using the shield to break a window in the building.

A pair of brothers  from Montana, Joshua Calvin Hughes and Jerod Wade Hughes then followed Pezzola into the window, helping to kick down a door from the inside, serving as an access point to greater numbers of rioters. The brothers were charged with felonies relating to destruction of property, obstructing law enforcement and disrupting a government proceeding, while Pezzola faces similar charges.

 

After a series of phone calls from local and Capitol Police leaders to Defense Department officials, the D.C. National Guard is deployed to help end the riot that saw Trump supporters breaking windows to get into the Capitol. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Evidence exists that Pezzola assaulted police when he stole the riot shield, earning him two additional crimes of violence charges. Members of the Proud Boys made use of walkie-talkie type communication devices in co-ordinating the attack. U.S. Attorney Kenerson revealed that FBI agents found information on producing homemade firearms, poisons and explosives on Pezzola's computer. 

 

Having gained entry to the Capitol, Pezzola and the Hughes brothers confronted Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman at the foot of a staircase. Officer Goodman was subsequently recognized for his calm and heroic management of a mob, leading them away from the chambers containing the assembled lawmakers who were confirming the numbers of the Electoral College votes, "advancing ... in a menacing manner", according to one FBI agent, while the Hughes brothers "followed immediately" behind.

The failure to fend off the rioters who forced lawmakers to hide in corners of the building while the angry mob called for their deaths is the subject of enquiry by internal and congressional investigations. Authorities acknowledge that police were outnumbered by rioters at every turn, that while Officer Goodman called for backup and other officers joined him, they still lacked manpower to enable them to attempt arrests. 

At one juncture a rioter slammed a fire extinguisher on the floor resulting in a cloud of smoke which acted as a shock, leading to a dissipation of the crowd's rage and dispersal. The Hughes brothers however, did not leave the building, instead making their way to the Senate floor, where they occupied lawmakers' chairs and rifled through their desks.

Convinced the election was stolen, thousands of Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 as Congress counts and certifies the Electoral College vote. Spencer Platt/Getty Images