Hot Springs man among latest to be arrested for alleged involvement in Jan. 6 insurrection
WASHINGTON D.C. (KNWA/KFTA) — An Arkansas man is among the latest to be arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the Department of Justice.
James Edward Porter, 59, of Hot Springs, was arrested by the FBI in Benton on Jan. 16.
Porter made his first court appearance in the Western District of Arkansas and was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
His charges were unsealed on the final business day before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn back into office.
Federal court documents allege that Porter attended a rally at the Ellipse and made his way to the west side of the Capitol. Porter reportedly positioned himself at the front of the mob attacking a police line protecting the Inauguration stage, according to the DOJ.
During the confrontation with officers, Porter allegedly pushed against an officer and grabbed his baton. A struggle ensued and the officer eventually removed Porter's hand from the baton.
"Porter then allegedly confronted another officer, lunging forward and pushing the officer," the DOJ said in a news release. "Porter continued engaging with police until another rioter deployed an orange chemical irritant, prompting him to retreat into the crowd."
A court filing said the FBI interviewed Porter in July 2024. Porter told authorities he was trying to stop the officer from hitting another person in the crowd when he grabbed the baton.
He said after he let go of the baton he got into a fighting stance and told the officer, "If you hit me, I’m gonna… gonna hit you."
Porter also told the FBI agents that he went to the Capitol because it was "what my president told me to do" and he was there to "have our voices heard about the election being stolen."
Porter's case was assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michel Harvey for the initial hearing.
The DOJ said the case is being investigated by the FBI’s Little Rock and Washington Field Offices.
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