Oregon Man Convicted in Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

Richard L. Harris, a 42-year-old from Happy Valley, Oregon, has been convicted of 11 charges stemming from the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. The bench trial concluded with Harris found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding, civil disorder, and assaulting a Metropolitan Police Department officer – a clear escalation from mere protest to outright violence. The feds presented damning video evidence proving Harris wasn’t just *present* at the riot, but actively participated in the chaos that day.

The prosecution laid out a case showing Harris was among the first to illegally enter the Capitol building, intentionally disrupting the joint session of Congress convened to certify the 2020 presidential election. He didn’t just wander inside; surveillance footage showed him menacing Capitol Police officers and engaging in physical altercations. One particularly brutal moment captured on video depicted Harris directly assaulting an MPD officer, a key piece of evidence leading to the guilty verdict. He even filmed a selfie bragging about being inside.

Harris’s actions weren’t isolated. He faces serious consequences for aiding and abetting the obstruction of an official proceeding – a felony charge. Additional charges include entering restricted grounds, disorderly conduct, and engaging in physical violence within the Capitol building. The sheer number of counts underscores the severity of his involvement and the calculated nature of his disruption. This wasn’t a spontaneous act of patriotism; it was a deliberate attempt to undermine a core tenet of American democracy.

Federal prosecutors successfully argued that Harris’s behavior went beyond simple trespassing. They demonstrated how his actions contributed to the overall chaos and threatened the safety of lawmakers and law enforcement. The bench trial, meaning the judge alone determined guilt or innocence, suggests the evidence was overwhelmingly in favor of conviction. No jury needed convincing; the video spoke for itself. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section spearheaded the prosecution.

Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on September 27, 2023, and faces potential financial penalties alongside a significant prison term. While the exact length of the sentence remains to be determined, the seriousness of the felony charges suggests a substantial period of incarceration. This case is part of a much larger investigation into the January 6th attack, with over 1,000 individuals already charged across nearly all 50 states. The feds aren’t letting up.

The FBI’s Portland and Washington Field Offices, with assistance from the Miami Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department, conducted the investigation. More than 350 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers – a grim statistic highlighting the violent nature of the riot. Tips from the public and cell phone location data were crucial in identifying and arresting Harris in Southern Florida. The investigation remains ongoing, and the feds are still seeking information about others involved in the Capitol breach.

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