How Might the U.S. Capitol Rioters Face Justice?
A violent mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 amid the president’s final push for a second term in office despite his election loss by more than 7 million votes.
Demonstrators breach a door of the U.S. Capitol as a joint session of Congress to count the votes of the 2020 presidential election takes place in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Jan. 6.
Photographer: Erin Scott/BloombergAuthorities have begun to bring charges against members of a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, forcing Congress to halt its proceeding to formally certify Joe Biden’s defeat of Trump in the Nov. 3 presidential election. Vice President Mike Pence vowed that “those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” and Biden called the episode an “insurrection.” The slow response by police and the relatively few arrests initially left observers wondering if the mob would face justice, but the charges are already rolling in.
The U.S. charged 55 people with crimes stemming from the siege, Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. Attorney in Washington, said the next day. Most face charges such as unlawful entry, though some have been accused of more serious crimes, like assault. At least 14 police officers were injured in the day’s events.