What We Know About The Capital Riots Case So Far!

America watched as hordes of rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6 — crushing through windows, pressing up stairways, and sending lawmakers and law enforcement running for their lives. The flood of protesters who streamed into the Capitol that day left federal authorities with an equally immense task: finding and charging those responsible.


The Department of Justice said that as of Friday, approximately 465 defendants had been arrested in connection with the attack. The government also indicated in a Friday court filing they expect to charge at least 550 people total.

Prosecutors have called the case "unprecedented" in scale, and the government said in a March court filing that the Capitol attack "is likely the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice."


As law enforcement continues to round up alleged rioters, here's what CBS News has learned about those who were arrested:

Around 465 defendants have been charged
Approximately 465 defendants have been arrested in connection with the riots, the Justice Department said Friday, and CBS News has reviewed court documents for 449 cases that have been unsealed. Of those, at least 181 defendants were also indicted by grand juries.

Charges include assaults on officers, destruction of government property and conspiracy
More than 130 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employees, including more than 40 who were charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer, the Department of Justice said.

In total, CBS News has found that more than 150 officers were injured in the attack, according to sources on Capitol Hill and the Capitol Police union, as well as testimony from Metropolitan Police Chief Chief Robert Contee.

Approximately 30 defendants have been charged with conspiracy, a charge that alleges defendants coordinated with others to commit an offense, including 16 Oath Keepers who have been indicted together in a single conspiracy case and 15 members or affiliates of the Proud Boys, who have been charged in four separate conspiracy cases.

Approximately 440 defendants were charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds. More than 40 were charged with entering the Capitol with a dangerous or deadly weapon, while around 25 were charged with theft of government property, the Department of Justice said.

More than 30 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and during proceedings for three of those defendants, the government has said their crimes amounted to "terrorism" — an allegation that is not itself a charge but could influence prison sentences if they are found guilty.


Dozens of defendants have served in the military
At least 50 of those arrested are current or former military members. Of those, one is an active duty service member, four are current part-time troops in the Army Reserve or National Guard, and 45 previously served in the military, according to attorney statements, military service records and court documents obtained by CBS News.

At least 22 have served in the U.S. Marines, 18 have served in the Army, two served in the Navy and two served in the Air Force. One defendant, Jeffrey McKellop, was a communications sergeant with the Army Special Forces, a group known colloquially as the Green Berets.

The Army Reserve shared the following statement with CBS News: "The U.S. Army Reserve takes all allegations of Soldier or Army civilian involvement in extremist groups seriously and will address this issue in accordance with Army regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice to ensure due process. Extremist ideologies and activities directly oppose our values and beliefs and those who subscribe to extremism have no place in our ranks."