Ohio Man Charged in Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Clay Norris, a 48-year-old man from Canton, Ohio, has been arrested and charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes related to his involvement in the January 6th breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Norris, also known as ‘Clayton Norris,’ was taken into custody in Ohio and is set to make his initial appearance in the Northern District of Ohio. He faces one felony count of civil disorder and four misdemeanor counts, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

According to court documents, Norris was identified on the East Front of the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021, around 12:45 p.m., outside of the metal bike rack barricades marking the restricted perimeter of the U.S. Capitol. He was seen chanting and yelling at officers lined up on the opposite side of the barricades and in front of the Capitol building.

Norris used a megaphone to yell at officers and speak with individuals in the crowd, telling one person, ‘I got bad news. We’re pushing through. You better get down with us or back off because we’re pushing through.’

At approximately 1:45 p.m., Norris and other rioters pushed the metal fencing that formed the barricade against U.S. Capitol Police Officers, who were attempting to prevent rioters from advancing towards the Capitol building. Photos and videos from various angles allegedly depict Norris pushing the barricade against police officers.

Norris breached the barricades after the push, but officers were able to reestablish the police line and marshal rioters like Norris, who had broken through back behind the barricades. While pointing to the Capitol building, Norris again yelled at police officers, stating, ‘We don’t want you guys. We want them,’ referring to elected officials in the building.

At approximately 2:00 p.m., while Norris was still behind the barricades, third-party video and closed-circuit video from the Capitol show rioters pushing the metal barricades against U.S. Capitol Police on a second occasion. Norris allegedly moved some of these barricades, and rioters were able to breach and move toward the Capitol successfully. Norris then allegedly moved forward to join the advancing crowd of rioters.

Norris and other rioters advanced into the restricted area of the Capitol grounds and towards the Capitol building. According to a third-party video, Norris was one of the first rioters to reach the East Central Steps of the Capitol building. He ascended the East Central Steps, where another police line had formed halfway to the top. Norris was directly in front of the police line, and he continued to yell at police officers through a megaphone.

The arrest and charges come as part of the ongoing investigation into the January 6th breach of the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged hundreds of individuals with crimes related to the breach, and the investigation is ongoing.