By Steve Neavling
With the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol nearing its second anniversary, Attorney General Merrick Garland released the following statement:
“Two years ago, the United States Capitol was attacked as lawmakers met to affirm the results of a presidential election. Perpetrators attacked police officers, targeted and assaulted members of the media, and interfered with a fundamental element of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.
“Since then, countless agents, investigators, prosecutors, analysts, and others across the Justice Department have participated in one of the largest, most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in our history. I am extremely grateful for the dedication, professionalism, and integrity with which they have done this work. This investigation has resulted in the arrest of more than 950 defendants for their alleged roles in the attack. We have secured convictions for a wide range of criminal conduct on January 6 as well as in the days and weeks leading up to the attack. Our work is far from over.
“We will never forget the sacrifice of the law enforcement officers who defended the members of Congress and others inside the Capitol that day. And we will never forget the five officers who responded selflessly on January 6 and who have since lost their lives: Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Howard Liebengood, Officer Jeffrey Smith, Officer Gunther Hashida, and Officer Kyle DeFreytag.
“The Justice Department remains committed to honoring them. We remain committed to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for the January 6 assault on our democracy. And we remain committed to doing everything in our power to prevent this from ever happening again.”
The Justice Department also released data on the arrests and charges in connection with the attack.
Of the more than 950 people charged for their role in the attack, 284 were charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees. Nearly 100 people have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
During the insurrection, about 140 officers were assaulted, including about 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police.
About 484 defendants have pleaded guilty to a variety of charges. Of them, 119 pleaded guilty to felonies.
Forty defendants have been found guilty during trials.
