August 22, 2024 - WASHINGTON — A Michigan man was arrested today for assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged 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.
Nathan Thornsberry, 42, of North Branch, Michigan, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.
In addition to the felonies, Thornsberry is charged with four misdemeanor offenses, including Entering or Remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, act of physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a Capitol building or grounds.
The FBI arrested Thornsberry in Davison, Michigan, and he made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Michigan.
According to court documents, Thornsberry was identified among a crowd of rioters gathered on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. Beginning at approximately 2:06 p.m. EST, Thornsberry was captured on police body-worn camera footage participating in the crowd's attempts to breach the manned police line by pushing metal bike-rack barriers against police officers in the area.
It is alleged that Thornsberry joined others in resisting Metropolitan Police Department and United States Capitol Police officers just north of the media tower on the Lower West Plaza. Thornsberry allegedly repeatedly pushed himself backward against a metal bike rack barricade manned by law enforcement officers. Officers then attempted to push the bike racks back, and were met with resistance from Thornsberry and others.
It is alleged that officers directed the crowd of rioters to move back and, in response, Thornsberry can be heard multiple times yelling, "Bring It!" Officers eventually regained control of a bike rack and placed it on the ground.
(Exhibit 7). At 2:07:55 p.m. EST, officers were able to regain control of the bicycle rack and place it back on the ground. Thornsberry stood with his back against the bicycle rack and his hand on the rail for approximately 30 seconds
Exhibit 7: Screenshot from the BWC footage of MPD Officer RT (identity of the officer is known to the FBI) from January 6, 2021 showing Nathan Thornsberry pushing against the barrier held by police outside the U.S. Capitol. Publicly available photographs taken by an individual present in the crowd shows Thornsberry in the same moment shown above as he pushed backwards against a metal bicycle rack being held by multiple police officers (Exhibit 8).
Exhibit 8: Thornsberry pushing backward against a metal bike rack manned by law enforcement.
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 Michigan.
The case is being investigated by the FBI's Detroit and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 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.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
