California Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

          WASHINGTON - A California man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

          Dane Christoffer Thompson, 45, of Granite Bay, California, is charged with felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and civil disorder.

          In addition to the felonies, Thompson is charged with five misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

          The FBI arrested Thompson on Nov. 22, 2024, in California, and he will make his initial appearance today in the Eastern District of California.

          According to court documents, on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Thompson attended the “Stop the Steal Rally” in Washington, D.C., near the National Mall. After the rally, Thompson walked with a large crowd along Pennsylvania Avenue toward the U.S. Capitol building. Thompson initially arrived on the Capitol’s West Front and moved through the crowd to the front of the mob, where police officers had arranged bicycle rack barricades near the Inaugural Stage.

          Open-source images and videos captured Thompson directly in front of these barricades, adjacent to a media tower that had been erected for the upcoming presidential inauguration. Here, Thompson allegedly joined with other rioters as they attempted to bypass police, the barricades, and physically interfere with police. Open-source video footage captured Thompson as he grabbed a bike rack at the front of the police line and wrestled it away from an officer.

          At approximately 2:28 p.m., the police line on the West Plaza collapsed after rioters overcame officers, forcing officers to fall back toward the Capitol building. It is alleged that Thompson then surged forward with other rioters, moved past a police barricade, and grabbed the right arm of a police officer. As Thompson moved past police, he tripped and fell over a step. Another rioter shoved a police officer backward, who then fell over Thompson’s body on the ground. Moments later, it is alleged that Thompson stood up and lunged at police, forcing officers to use their batons to repel the attack.

          These actions did not repel Thompson, who then proceeded to turn around and, with another rioter’s assistance, drove his back into a police officer, pushing the officer toward the Capitol and against the side of an elevated platform on the West Plaza. Body-worn camera footage then captured Thompson reaching toward a police officer before being grabbed by a Capitol Police officer.

          Police eventually retreated from this area and gathered in a passageway that led from the Lower West Terrace – where the inaugural stage was being built – to the interior of the Capitol building known as the Tunnel. The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th.  At approximately 2:56 p.m., video footage captured Thompson entering the Tunnel as other rioters hurled objects at officers, including a large construction marker. It is alleged that Thompson then immediately joined rioters in a coordinated effort to break through the police line by rocking their bodies and using their collective force to push against the officers in the Tunnel.

          At approximately 3:00 p.m., Thompson helped pass a police riot shield from the entrance of the Tunnel to other rioters. He then moved to the front of the crowd in the Tunnel and participated in another concerted “heave-ho” push by the mob against the police. Court documents say that Thompson participated in this coordinated push for several minutes and, at approximately 3:05 p.m., stopped shoving, turned around, and exited the Tunnel.

          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 California.

          This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Sacramento and Washington Field Offices. Thompson was identified as AFO (Assault on Federal Officer) #292 on the FBI’s seeking information images. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

          In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

          Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

          A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.