Capitol Assault: NC Man Pleads Guilty to Attacking Police

WASHINGTON D.C. – Grayson Sherrill, 23, of Cherryville, North Carolina, has confessed to a felony charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer during the January 6th, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Sherrill’s actions, alongside a mob of rioters, directly disrupted the joint session of Congress convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results. The plea, entered in the District of Columbia, brings him one step closer to facing serious consequences for his role in the chaotic day.

Court documents reveal a calculated attempt by Sherrill to evade detection. Prior to traveling to Washington D.C. for the “Stop the Steal” rally, he purchased a Faraday bag – a device designed to block signals and prevent location tracking. On January 6th, as the rally devolved into violence, Sherrill and his associates marched toward the Capitol, encountering already-breached barricades and damaged fencing. They arrived at the West Front, witnessing a scene of escalating chaos: rioters scaling scaffolding, fighting with police, and deploying chemical irritants.

The indictment details Sherrill’s direct involvement in the assault. Armed with a metal pole broken off from a bicycle barricade, Sherrill and a co-defendant carried the weapon as they moved through the restricted grounds and ultimately breached the Capitol building. While MPD Civil Disturbance Unit officers attempted to establish a protective line, Sherrill swung the metal pole at Officer D.H., making contact before continuing inside. He spent roughly 34 minutes inside the Capitol, wandering through the Crypt and Rotunda, even posing for photographs with co-defendants atop statues.

In a further attempt to conceal his involvement, Sherrill deleted videos from his phone documenting his presence at the Capitol on January 6th. He was arrested in North Carolina on March 1, 2021. He now faces a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in prison, along with potential financial penalties. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.

The prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The investigation was spearheaded by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, aided by the Charlotte Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police. Sherrill was initially identified as #xxx in a public photo seeking information.

This guilty plea is part of a larger, ongoing investigation into the January 6th Capitol breach. To date, over 950 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states, with over 284 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The Department of Justice continues to pursue those responsible for the attack on American democracy, promising further arrests and prosecutions in the days and months to come. Anyone with tips is encouraged to contact the authorities.

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