UTAH, April 29, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A fifth Utah man has been charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 riot and breach of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Copeland, 33, of Apple Valley, in Washington County, is facing federal charges including:
- Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers
- Obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder
- Knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds
- Violent entry of the Capitol
- Disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds
Copeland was arrested Thursday and made his initial court appearance hours later in Utah, the statement says.
According to court documents, Copeland entered the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 where he assaulted law enforcement officers and obstructed their efforts to carry out their duties, a Department of Justice statement says.
“According to U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) footage, Copeland shouted at officers and pushed another crowd member into the police line before being pushed back,” the statement says.
“Shortly after, Copeland was involved in a tug-of-war style struggle with police over a metal bike rack fence barricade. After one or more officers deployed a chemical irritant, Copeland tossed the bike rack toward multiple law enforcement officers.”
The 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 court statement says, adding valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which listed Copeland as #56 on their seeking information photos, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office.
In the first 100 days after Jan. 6, 2021, more than 400 suspects have been charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, including more than 100 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, the DOJ statement says. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
The four Utahns previously charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol assault are Salt Lake County resident John Sullivan, St. George resident Brady Knowlton, Kaysville resident and former Salt Lake City Police Officer Michael Lee Hardin, and Toquerville resident Willard Jake Peart.
domestic terrorist, REMF weekend warrior, insurrectionists, hope he gets 20 years for his treasonous acts and threats of sedition