Virginia Man Charged with Assaulting Law Enforcement on Jan. 6

A Virginia man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including for assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. David A. Marshall Jr., 57, of Alexandria, Virginia, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with two felony offenses, including civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.

In addition to the felonies, Marshall is charged with seven misdemeanor offenses, including assault by striking, beating, or wounding, 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, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

Marshall was arrested on May 1, 2024, in Virginia and is expected to make his initial appearance in the District of Columbia today. According to court documents, Marshall was identified in open-source and closed-circuit television video footage as present on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021.

Court documents say that Marshall was in the vicinity of the West Plaza from approximately 1:00 pm – 2:27 pm on January 6th. During this period, Marshall allegedly engaged in multiple assaults on law enforcement officers, as well as an assault on a member of the news media. Marshall also assisted other rioters in possessing police equipment and materials, as well as taking police officers’ equipment himself.

It is alleged that at approximately 1:11 pm, Marshall pushed and shoved law enforcement officers in the location of the West Plaza. Shortly after, Marshall picked up a yellow flag and took an officer’s baton and bag. Court documents say that while on the West Plaza, Marshall allegedly assaulted a member of the news media by grabbing the journalist and yanking them down a set of stairs.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.