November 15, 2024 – WASHINGTON – A Georgia man has been charged with allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other offenses 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.
Leander Antwione Williams, 31, of Savannah, Georgia, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
In addition to the felonies, Williams is charged with misdemeanor offenses of 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.
The FBI arrested Williams on Thursday in Savannah and he will make his initial appearance in the Southern District of Georgia.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, it is alleged that Williams was among an initial group of rioters to breach the restricted permitter of Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., near the Peace Monument. There, after pushing through a crowd that had gathered near a line of bike racks, Williams confronted and overpowered Capitol Police officers stationed at the Pennsylvania Walkway perimeter. Once past this police line, Williams moved toward the Capitol’s West Plaza, where police officers were attempting to form defensive lines against the advancing rioters. As the crowd pushed the officers back toward the Southwest Stairs leading to the West Terrace, additional support arrived from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), which began dispersing rioters off the plaza.
At approximately 1:13 p.m., as MPD officers tried to maintain control of the area with metal bike racks, it is alleged that Williams attempted to seize one of these racks from an officer who was working to clear the plaza. A minute later, as MPD continued pushing the crowd back, Williams allegedly lunged at an officer, swatting at the officer's hand as the officer deployed spray to prevent the rioters from advancing.
Despite escalating violence between rioters and police, court documents say that Williams stayed close to the front lines, often using other rioters as cover to mask his actions. At around 1:38 p.m., as recorded on body camera footage from an MPD officer, Williams approached the bike rack barricades again. A few minutes later, Williams allegedly grabbed a barricade with both hands, attempting to pull it back from the police line. In response, MPD officers tried to push him away, but Williams resisted and allegedly struck an officer on the head with a forceful arm motion. Officers eventually managed to push him back down the steps.
After being repelled, Williams rejoined the rioters. At approximately 2:09 p.m., Williams again allegedly pushed against the bike rack line, attempting to break through the officers' defensive formation, but the line held temporarily. About 18 minutes later, with the bike racks removed, Williams returned to the officers, allegedly grabbing and shoving two officers—one from the Capitol Police and one from MPD—in another attempt to breach the line.
Following these confrontations, rioters managed to retake the West Plaza, where Williams joined in chants of "U.S.A.!" while raising his fists. After briefly treating himself for exposure to the spray used by officers, he moved towards the Lower West Terrace, a focal point of intense violence that day. Williams remained in this area, particularly near the terrace entrance—an epicenter of violent clashes—between approximately 3:10 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., before eventually leaving the Capitol grounds in the evening.
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 Southern District of Georgia.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Atlanta and Washington Field Offices. Williams was identified as AFO (Assault on Federal Officer) #419 on the FBI’s seeking information images. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 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.
Attachment: williams_sof.pdf [PDF, 3 MB]
Source & photos: DOJ Release
