Vermont Man Cops Felony Charges for Capitol Riot Assault

William Arthur Nichols, Jr., 41, of Manchester, Vermont, is behind bars on federal felony charges for storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and beating law enforcement officers with a large circular shield. The attack, caught on multiple video feeds, shows Nichols pushing to the front of a violent mob on the Capitol’s west front and using the shield as a weapon against officers trying to defend the building.

Nichols was arrested in Vermont and is expected to appear today in the District of Vermont. He’s charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers; civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct with a dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building; impeding passage through the Capitol; and an act of physical violence on Capitol grounds — all felonies under federal law.

Court documents detail how Nichols, wielding the shield like a battering ram, repeatedly shoved and struck officers over several hours. He didn’t just stand in the crowd—he advanced, targeted, and attacked. The FBI, which identified him as suspect #243 in its public appeal, used video evidence and tipster leads to track him down after more than two years of investigation.

The 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. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont provided key support, along with investigative work from the FBI’s Richmond Field Office-Fredericksburg Resident Agency, Washington Field Office, and Albany Field Office. The U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department also assisted.

Since January 6, 2021, over 950 individuals across nearly all 50 states have been arrested in connection with the Capitol breach. More than 284 of them face charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The probe remains open and active, with federal agents still chasing down evidence and tips.

Anyone with information on additional suspects can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. The charges against William Arthur Nichols, Jr., are merely allegations. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.