On the morning of Jan. 6, Montgomery, Knowlton, and Wilson met at the Yours Truly hotel in Washington, D.C., and walked to an area near the Washington Monument and the Ellipse to hear the speakers at the “Stop the Steal” rally, according to the DOJ press release, then the three made their way to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building, crossing over inside the restricted perimeter.
At approximately 2:02 p.m., Montgomery grabbed a law enforcement officer’s baton and attempted to wrestle it away from the officer. The officer held onto the baton and fell to the ground with Montgomery. The two then attempted to wrestle control of the baton from each other while Knowlton and Wilson watched nearby, the DOJ said. “During the scuffle, Montgomery kicked the police officer in the chest.”
After this incident, the three men ascended the Upper West Terrace Stairs with a mass of individuals and approached the Upper West Terrace Door. As they approached, the exterior double doors were propped open, people were screaming, and a loud alarm sounded as people were streaming into the Capitol building. Inside the doors, signage stated, “Emergency Exit Only.” The three men entered the Capitol building via the Upper West Terrace Door at approximately 2:35 p.m.
After entering the building, the three men climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered the Rotunda, and climbed the stairs to the third floor. At about 2:40 p.m., the three were walking together in the hallway on the third floor towards the Senate Gallery, at which point Knowlton stated, in substance, “We have a right to choose our electors. We’re not going to have communist China choose them for us. We’re not going to have the Democratic Party choose them for us.” Court documents say that Montgomery and Wilson were a few feet away from Knowlton when he made this statement.
At approximately 2:43 p.m., the three men entered the Senate Gallery, and Wilson shouted, “Treason! Treason! Treason!” with others in the area. Wilson then took a black bag containing escape hoods and protective equipment that a user puts over his head to prevent breathing in smoke or contaminated air, which were government property. Knowlton and Montgomery were standing near Wilson when he took the black bag from the Senate Gallery. Wilson later discarded the bag.
The three men left the Senate Gallery and proceeded to the second floor to an area near the Senate Floor, where they confronted a U.S. Capitol Police officer, the DOJ’s account continues. Knowlton yelled at the officer: “This is not about us. This is bigger than me, it’s bigger than you. It’s about this – everyone’s right to self-government . . . We’re with you guys. You think these people in this building would fight for you?”
Montgomery yelled: “You gotta stop doing your job sometime and start being American. You gotta quit doing your job and be an American!”
Wilson yelled: “We came all the way from our job to do your job, and the freaking Senators’ job!” After this confrontation, the defendants exited the Capitol building at approximately 2:53 p.m.
The FBI arrested Patrick Montgomery on Jan. 17, 2021, in Colorado, and Knowlton and Wilson in Utah on April 7, 2021.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Colorado and Utah provided valuable assistance, the release said. The FBI’s Denver, Salt Lake City, and Washington Field Offices investigated this case.
In the 38 months since Jan. 6, 2021, the DOJ said, more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 486 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.
