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Baltimore resident Narayana Rheiner, 41, pleaded guilty to pushing a police line and grabbing a Capitol Police officer’s riot shield while he and other supporters of former President Donald Trump sought to disrupt the 2020 presidential election vote count as it was being certified.
Specifically, Rheiner pleaded guilty to interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder.
On the day of the insurrection, federal prosecutors said that Rheiner was part of a mob that illegally massed on the Upper West Plaza of the Capitol where officers were maintaining a police line to prevent the mob from advancing further.
At approximately 2:04 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Rheiner went to the front of the police line, and waved other rioters to come forward, yelling at them to “push up” on the line, according to investigators.
He proceeded to push against officers, grabbed one of their riot shields, pulled it out of his hands, and knocked the officer to the ground.
Less than an hour later at 2:44 p.m., prosecutors said that Rheiner entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Door, at which point, he and other rioters made their way toward the Rotunda, joining a group that was attempting to gain access to a hallway blocked by officers.
Prosecutors say that officers deployed chemical irritants against the rioters, to which Rheiner yelled at them, “You know how many times I’ve been sprayed today? That s--- ain’t nothing!”
He also yelled, “Why don’t you just go home!” and “We’re not backing up!”
Rheiner's reign of terror lasted less than an hour, as he ultimately left the Capitol Building through a broken window at about 2:57 p.m. He was later identified and arrested on March 2, 2022, in Baltimore.
When he is sentenced in March 2023, Rheiner will face up to five years in prison and potential fines or financial penalties.
"In the 21 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the US Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement," federal officials said. "The investigation remains ongoing."
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