A Florida man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison on Friday for assaulting a police officer during the Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.
Courson and other protesters disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress, which was convened to verify and count the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
Authorities said Courson was part of a mob that confronted law enforcement officials at the Archway and Lower West Terrace tunnel leading into the Capitol building. This is the location from which presidents emerge on their inauguration day.
Hundreds of protesters had gathered at the tunnel by 4:20 p.m., some of whom engaged in “throwing” or “swinging various objects” at officers. Among those in the tunnel was Rosanne Boyland, 34, of Kennesaw, Georgia, who died soon after.
Boyland entered the tunnel at 4:18 p.m.
Shortly after, pandemonium broke out after an officer deployed a chemical irritant gas that displaced the oxygen in the tunnel, forcing a stampede as protesters rushed to get air outside, witnesses said.
At 4:21 p.m., Boyland’s collapse was registered in police bodycam footage when a voice was heard shouting, “Oh God, a woman’s down!” Protesters spent around 10 minutes begging police to render aid to the fallen woman, but their pleas were ignored.
Officer Assaulted
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Courson was positioned at the bottom of the steps and attacked the officer with a police baton while other protesters struck him with different objects. The officer sustained bruising and abrasions, the DOJ said.Eventually, officers and medics from three police agencies worked for 15 minutes to try to revive Boyland’s lifeless body. She was one of four supporters of former President Donald Trump who died that day.
Courson was among nine defendants charged in this case, with four of his fellow defendants having previously pleaded guilty to the charges they faced. He was initially arrested in December 2021 on multiple charges.
In addition to his prison sentence, Courson has been ordered to serve 36 months of supervised release and pay $2,000 in restitution.
The arrests related to the violence at the Jan. 6 protests and Capitol breach have now surpassed 1,000 individuals across almost all 50 states, with nearly 350 individuals charged specifically with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Another Man Also Charged for Actions at Tunnel
An actor who has appeared in several popular television shows and movies was also arrested and charged last week for his alleged participation in actions at the tunnel leading to the Capitol building.Jay Johnston, a 54-year-old resident of Los Angeles, was arrested and charged on June 7 on charges of interfering with law enforcement during the breach. While Johnston was observed entering the tunnel leading to the entrance at 3:05 p.m., he is not accused of entering the Capitol itself.
Authorities obtained surveillance footage showing an individual resembling Johnston participating in the incident. Flight records also indicated that Johnston had a round-trip flight reservation from Los Angeles to Washington in January 2021. Additionally, one of Johnston’s acquaintances provided the FBI with a text message in which Johnston acknowledged being present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Video footage revealed Johnston allegedly taking possession of a stolen riot shield belonging to the Capitol Police, carrying it away from the officers, and subsequently handing it to another individual.
In charging documents, Johnston wrote that the news “has presented it as an attack” but added that “it actually wasn’t” but “kind of turned into that.”
“It was a mess. Got maced and tear gassed and I found it quite untastic [sic],” he wrote.
Originally from Illinois, Johnston has appeared in various popular television shows and movies, including a recurring role as “Officer Taylor” in the series “Arrested Development.” Following allegations of his involvement in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Johnston was reportedly banned from his voice-acting role on “Bob’s Burgers.”
