December 18, 2024 – WASHINGTON – A Georgia man was sentenced to prison on Tuesday after he was previously convicted of assaulting law enforcement and other offenses related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. 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.
Michael Bradley, 50, of Forsyth, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton to 60 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
Bradley approached the Tunnel two times over a two-minute period with the intent of assaulting officers (pictured above) with his baton. At about 4:27 p.m., Bradley raised his baton and approached officers in the Tunnel in an apparent threat to strike them. However, he was sprayed with a chemical agent, which appeared to have caused him to retreat temporarily.
Bradley was previously found guilty of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, on Jan. 6, 2021, between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., an individual, later identified as Bradley, carrying a baton in a holster on his right hip, made his way toward the U.S. Capitol and moved to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. While at the Lower West Terrace, Bradley watched as rioters smashed out windows and pulled law enforcement officers into the rioting crowd.
Bradley approached the Tunnel two times over a two-minute period with the intent of assaulting officers with his baton. At about 4:27 p.m., Bradley raised his baton and approached officers in the Tunnel in an apparent threat to strike them. However, he was sprayed with a chemical agent, which appeared to have caused him to retreat temporarily.
At approximately 4:28 p.m., CCTV and third-party video captured Bradley as he returned to the mouth of the Tunnel. This time, he swung at the officers with his baton in an attempt to hit them. After swinging at the officers at least two times, Bradley moved to the side of the Tunnel and left the Lower West Terrace a few minutes later.
The FBI arrested Bradley on Sept. 7, 2023, in Forsyth, Georgia.
This case was 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 Middle District of Georgia.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Atlanta and Washington Field Offices. Bradley was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #154 on the FBI’s seeking information images. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 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.
BRADLEY, MICHAEL
Case Number
23-mj-237
Charges
See Documents
Case Status
Complaint Filed - 08/31/2023
Arrested - 09/7/2023
Associated Documents
Bradley Complaint [PDF, 207 KB]
Bradley Statement of Facts [PDF, 3 MB]
Source & photos: DOJ Release
