A North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to nine charges related to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. One of the charges was assaulting police officers.
Six felonies were charged against 61-year-old Anthony Mastanduno. These included two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding police with a deadly and dangerous weapon, engaging in violence with a deadly weapon, and civil disorder, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. Besides that, he admitted guilt to three lesser offenses, one of which was disorderly behavior in a Capitol building.
According to the news release, Mastanduno went into the Capitol just after 2:15 p.m. on January 6 and left around 2:38 p.m. to go to the Lower West Terrace. Starting around 4:30 p.m., he “joined with other rioters and took part in coordinated attacks on uniformed police who were guarding the tunnel.”
“Flagpole-like object” was picked up by Mastanduno and thrown at a line of police officers at the entrance to the tunnel like he was “throwing a javelin or a spear,” according to the news release. At the opening of the tunnel, he later used a stolen police shield to push against the line of police officers.
The law firm’s office said that as he pushed against the line, he “striked at police officers multiple times, aiming for their hands and arms.” He left the Capitol around 4:45 p.m. after being sprayed with something that would make him sick.
He was caught in North Carolina on August 23. On June 27, District Judge Tanya Chutkan will give him his sentence.
The office said that more than 1,358 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states with crimes related to the uprising on January 6.
