WASHINGTON (KGUN) — Jacob Zerkle, of Bowie, Ariz., is pleading guilty to two felony charges connected to his part during the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton will sentence the 51-year-old for the following charges:
- Civil disorder
- Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers
Court documents detail Zerkle's travels on the "Insurrection Day," showing he got into a restricted area of the Capitol Grounds near the Peace Circle. That's when he apparently got closer to the base of the Northwest Staircase and began chanting along with other protesters things like, "Hang ‘em high!”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Zerkle assaulted a line of Metropolitan Police Department officers near the Northwest edge of the grounds around 2 p.m. These officers were on their way to help backup U.S. Capitol Police.
He was arrested on March 15, 2022, in Arizona.
His and other rioters' behavior was directly linked to preventing officers from responding to the Capitol Building as ordered. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is also involved with this case, as well as the FBI Phoenix and Washington Field Offices. Anyone with tips, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit the FBI's website.
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