Illinois man pleads guilty to assaulting Reuters journalist during U.S. Capitol riot
By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An Illinois man on Friday pleaded responsible to assaulting a Reuters journalist and a police officer throughout the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Shane Jason Woods, 44, of Auburn, pleaded responsible in a federal courtroom listening to in Washington to 1 felony rely of assaulting, resisting or impeding police and one misdemeanor rely of placing, beating and wounding inside U.S. territory.
Though the 2 counts mixed carry a statutory most sentence of 9 years in jail, underneath U.S. sentencing tips, Woods would face between 33 to 41 months in jail, U.S. District Choose Amit Mehta mentioned.
Final 12 months, Woods grew to become the primary defendant to be charged for assaulting a member of the information media throughout the riot.
A complete of 11 folks have been charged with assaulting journalists that day, whereas about 269 have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officials, in keeping with a Justice Division tally.
In all, greater than 870 folks have been charged with crimes associated to the Capitol assault.
Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol following a fiery speech through which the then-president falsely claimed his defeat within the November 2020 election was the results of widespread fraud.
In courtroom filings, investigators mentioned Woods was recorded on video sporting a Trump baseball cap and Trump face masks whereas strolling in a restricted space on the Capitol throughout the riot.
On the recording, he could possibly be seen assaulting a U.S. Capitol Police officer, inflicting her to journey and fall to the bottom. She was surrounded by protesters till one other officer got here to her rescue.
He was additionally recorded concentrating on a Reuters journalist filming the riots, utilizing what federal prosecutors described as a “blindside shoulder-tackle” to knock the journalist to the bottom.
“The style of assault on the cameraman was similar to the assault” in opposition to the officer, an FBI agent wrote within the preliminary charging paperwork.
Woods, who participated in Friday’s listening to by distant connection, admitted to pulling down each the police officer and the Reuters journalist.
His sentencing was set for Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. ET.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Enhancing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis)
