A Florida man has been arrested and charged in connection with his actions during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, where he allegedly assaulted law enforcement officers with deadly weapons, contributing to the violent disruption of a joint session of Congress.
Joel Linn O’Donnell, 44, of Clearwater, Florida, was arrested by the FBI on December 19, 2024, in Clearwater. He faces a total of seven charges, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly weapon, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, and violent conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly weapon. In addition to these felony charges, O’Donnell is also facing two misdemeanor offenses for disorderly conduct and physical violence in the Capitol building.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2021, O’Donnell attended a rally near the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., and later joined a large crowd marching toward the Capitol. Upon reaching Capitol grounds, he positioned himself at the Lower West Plaza before advancing to the Upper West Terrace, where rioters had gathered. O’Donnell was seen participating in the chaos, which included throwing objects at police officers and chanting derogatory statements at law enforcement.
At approximately 4:54 p.m., O’Donnell, accompanied by an associate, allegedly moved closer to the Capitol building and made his way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, one of the most violent flashpoints of the attack. There, he reportedly used a large step and two long poles as weapons, throwing all three objects at officers defending the tunnel.
Moments later, at approximately 5:02 p.m., O’Donnell returned to the police line armed with a baseball bat, which he allegedly used to strike a Metropolitan Police Department officer’s riot shield multiple times. This attack on the officer continued until law enforcement deployed riot control munitions to disperse the crowd, at which point O’Donnell retreated.
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. The investigation remains ongoing, and more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in connection with the Capitol breach.
The FBI’s Tampa and Washington Field Offices, along with the United States Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department, have been instrumental in the investigation. O’Donnell’s arrest is a part of the continuing efforts to hold those responsible for the violent actions on January 6 accountable.
Anyone with information on the events of January 6 or other individuals involved in the Capitol breach is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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