WASHINGTON D.C. – Another foot soldier in the January 6th insurrection has fallen. Benjamin Cohen, 22, of Westport, Connecticut, admitted in federal court on July 8, 2024, to violently assaulting officers defending the U.S. Capitol. Cohen’s actions, alongside hundreds of others, directly disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election – a pathetic attempt to overturn a legitimate democratic process.
According to court documents, Cohen wasn’t just a bystander. He was in it. Identified through surveillance footage, Cohen was front and center on the West Plaza at approximately 2:28 p.m. on January 6th, as the mob began its relentless attack on the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department. He didn’t hesitate – immediately joining the fray, pushing and shoving officers, then escalating to outright strikes. This wasn’t protest; it was a coordinated assault.
The violence didn’t stop there. Cohen pushed deeper into the chaos, eventually reaching the infamous “Tunnel” – a choke point where some of the most brutal clashes occurred. By 2:51 p.m., he was actively participating in “heave-ho” efforts, joining a collective push against the overwhelmed police line. He then observed fellow rioters deploying chemical spray against officers, and later rinsed his own eyes after being exposed. A calculated move by a participant fully aware of the escalating violence.
Even after retreating briefly, Cohen repeatedly returned to the Tunnel, aiding the rioters’ attempts to breach the Capitol. He wasn’t content with simply being present; he actively assisted in the effort, even entering the Capitol building through a broken window. He remained on the scene until at least 4:01 p.m., continuing to support the insurrection. The FBI finally caught up with Cohen on August 9, 2023, in his home state of Connecticut.
Cohen pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers before U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. He’ll be back in court on November 8, 2024, to hear his sentence. While this conviction closes one chapter, it’s a grim reminder of the ongoing fallout from that day. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division are handling the prosecution, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
The FBI’s New Haven and Washington Field Offices led the investigation, utilizing “Be On the Look Out” photos to identify Cohen. Critical support was also provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. As of this report, over 1,450 individuals have been charged in connection to the January 6th attack, spanning nearly every state in the nation – a testament to the scale of the conspiracy and the long road to justice.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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