New York Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

 Assailant Attacked Officer, Stole a Riot Shield, and Tried to Smash a Window at the Capitol with a Flag Pole

WASHINGTON — A New York man was arrested for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the Presidential election.

Jonathan J. Munafo, 34, of Albany, is charged with federal offenses that include forcibly assaulting, resisting, impeding or interfering with an officer of the U.S. government; knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds without lawful authority and while carrying a dangerous weapon; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Munafo made his initial court appearance in the Middle District of Florida on April 26.

According to court documents, Munafo was on the Lower West Terrace outside the tunnel where he was captured on video striking a U.S. Capitol Police officer twice in the head and body with a closed fist. Munafo then violently ripped the officer’s riot shield out of his hands and passed it back to others in the crowd behind him. At one point, Munafo used a wooden flagpole to strike a window of the Capitol in an attempt to break it.

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.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, who listed Munafo as #170 in their seeking information photos, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office. 

In the first 100 days after Jan. 6, 2021, over 400 individuals have been charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, including over 100 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.  The investigation remains ongoing. 

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

The charges contained in any criminal complaint or indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.