Texas Woman Admits to Capitol Cop Assault

WASHINGTON D.C. – A Texas woman is facing the music after admitting she actively participated in the January 6th, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol and physically attacked a police officer. Dana Jean Bell, 65, of Princeton, Texas, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers on July 8, 2024. The plea acknowledges her direct involvement in the chaos that disrupted the joint session of Congress convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results.

Court documents paint a disturbing picture of Bell’s actions. On the day of the riot, she was among the mob gathered on the east side of the Capitol, aggressively shaking police barricades and directing obscenities at officers – including a colorful “f— you” – while gesturing with her middle finger. As the situation escalated, Bell wasn’t content with verbal abuse. She actively contributed to the breaching of security perimeters as protestors overwhelmed the outnumbered Capitol Police, forcing them to retreat.

By approximately 2:35 p.m., the scene had devolved into outright violence, with rioters assaulting officers with pepper spray and stealing riot shields. Bell positioned herself at the front of the mob, directly in front of the East Rotunda doors, and physically assisted in forcing them open. Once inside, she didn’t simply wander; she actively sought out confrontation, repeatedly ignoring police commands and verbally accosting officers in the Rotunda and Speaker’s Lobby.

The assault wasn’t confined to words. As Bell exited the building, she forcibly shoved her shoulder into an officer’s body, then grabbed and pulled at the officer’s baton. Outside the Capitol, her aggression continued. She attempted to physically interfere with a journalist recording the events, and when someone intervened to protect the reporter, Bell raised her hand to strike them before attempting to kick another person who came to the journalist’s aid. The FBI took Bell into custody on December 7, 2023, in Texas.

Bell now awaits sentencing, scheduled for October 17, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. 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 Texas. The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI’s Dallas and Washington Field Offices, along with the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

This case is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. In the 42 months since the January 6th insurrection, over 1,470 individuals have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol breach in nearly all 50 states, with more than 530 facing assault charges. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and report on the accountability – or lack thereof – for those responsible for the attack on American democracy.

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