Image by Richard Burton from Pixabay
March 7, 2024 - WASHINGTON – An Indiana man pleaded guilty today to assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Curtis Logan Tate, 32, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to three felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper will sentence Tate on July 9, 2024.
According to court documents, Tate attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, in protest of Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote. Tate wore a black jacket, green tactical vest, green pants, and black knit cap, and he carried a metal baton that he had brought with him to D.C. After the rally, Tate marched with a crowd toward the U.S. Capitol grounds.
At approximately 2:05 p.m., Tate arrived on the restricted grounds surrounding the U.S. Capitol building near the Lower West Terrace. Here, Tate urged others to move forward, yelling, “Keep going!” He also posted a video on his Instagram social media account depicting the Lower West Terrace and Inauguration scaffolding with a caption, reading, “Before the first breach.”
Tate then advanced to the front of the crowd assembled on the Lower West Terrace and used the metal baton that he had brought with him to strike a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer in the hand. In response, another MPD officer sprayed Tate with pepper spray, causing him to rerate from the area. However, Tate remained near the Lower West Terrace after the assault and posted a second video of himself on Instagram with a caption reading, “POST 1ST MACING.” In the video, Tate displayed the same metal baton that he had used to assault the MPD officer and yelled, “We're tearing this motherf— down!” Tate remained near the Lower West Terrace, where he uploaded a third video of himself to Instagram with a caption reading, “POST 2ND TEAR GAS.” In the video, Tate displayed the metal baton again and yelled, “Push forward! Our house!”
At about 2:42 p.m., the mob of assembled rioters began attacking a defensive police line at the mouth of an archway leading to an entrance to the Capitol building known as the Tunnel. The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. Rioters at the Tunnel battled police officers for hours as they attempted to storm the Capitol building. Police retreated inside the Tunnel to protect an entrance to the Capitol building.
At approximately 2:43 p.m., Tate entered the Tunnel, brandishing the metal baton over his head as he entered. Inside the Tunnel, Tate uploaded a fourth video to his Instagram account with the caption reading, “F— ALL THESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.” Tate then waved others outside to enter the Tunnel and, at approximately 2:57 p.m., brandished the metal baton above his head and charged toward the line of police officers.
Court documents say that Tate repeatedly struck a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer in the helmet with the metal baton. In response, another USCP officer sprayed Tate with pepper spray, causing him to retreat from the Tunnel.
At approximately 4:12 p.m., Tate returned to the steps of the Tunnel and, at about 4:28 p.m., picked up a black speaker box from the ground. The speaker box was approximately 12 inches wide and 18 inches long. Court documents say that Tate threw the speaker box, which struck an office window located to the left of the Tunnel entrance. The strike caused a crack that was already in the window to expand.
At approximately 4:31 p.m., Tate threw a black speaker box at police officers protecting the entrance to the Tunnel. The speaker box struck an MPD officer in the left arm. Tate also threw a shoe at the MPD officer. After the assault, Tate assisted other rioters in passing objects through the crowd. Certain objects were later used as improvised weapons by rioters in the Tunnel, including a broken table leg and a floor lamp. Tate also assisted by passing a long piece of lumber toward the entrance to the Tunnel.
Beginning at about 4:34 p.m., Tate threw the broken table leg and a floor lamp at police officers protecting the entrance to the Tunnel. He later stood at the entrance to the Tunnel and brandished a black nightstick over his head in a threatening manner at police officers.
The FBI arrested Tate on Aug. 24, 2023, in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana and Eastern District of North Carolina provided valuable assistance.
The FBI's Indianapolis and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The FBI identified Tate as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #119 on its seeking information photos. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In the 38 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 486 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Source: DOJ Release
