A Lapeer County man was arrested today for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges during the Jan 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capital.
Nathan Thornsberry, 42, of North Branch, Michigan, is charged in a criminal complaint with a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.
In addition to the felonies, Thornsberry is charged with four misdemeanor offenses, including Entering or Remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, act of physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a Capitol building or grounds.
All charges were filed in the District of Columbia.
The FBI arrested Thornsberry in Davison, Michigan, and he made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Michigan. According to court documents, Thornberry was identified among a group of capital rioters, captured on police body-camera footage around 2:06 p.m. as he and the crowd attempted to breach the manned police line, pushing metal bike-rack barriers against the gathered officers as they struggled to hold the line.
Thornsberry allegedly repeatedly pushed himself backward against a metal bike rack barricade, and met the officers with resistance when they attempted to push the bike racks back. When officers directed the crowd to move back, Thornsberry could allegedly be heard multiple times in the footage yelling, “Bring It!” in response. Officers eventually regained control of a bike rack and placed it on the ground.
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. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Detroit and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, almost 1,500 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
See the agency’s statement of facts for the case here:
