WASHINGTON — A Kentucky man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice said his actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress while it was counting the presidential electoral votes.

William Stover, 46, of Elizabethtown, is being charged with civil disorder in Washington, D.C., a felony offense. In addition, Stover is charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings. Stover made his initial appearance in the Western District of Kentucky.

According to court documents, Stover was identified on closed-circuit television (“CCTV”) footage and police body-worn camera footage at the U.S. Capitol building and grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. In this footage, it is alleged that Stover pushed against a police line and aided other rioters in fighting against police officers near an entrance to the Capitol building at the lower west terrace tunnel.

Stover grabbed onto the side of the tunnel entrance in an effort to leverage his weight and to push against police, court documents state. Stover then grabbed ahold of the side of the tunnel, hoisted himself up, and reached over the heads of the other rioters to grab the helmet of the nearest police officer.

A short while later, court documents state that Stover received a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield, which he then handed to another rioter who climbed up behind him. That rioter took the shield from Stover and used it to attack police. Stover remained at the entrance to the tunnel as the rioters fought police for approximately twenty more minutes. At about 4:10 p.m., he was pushed away from the mouth of the tunnel by the crowd.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice.

In the 30 months since Jan. 6, 2021, over 1,069 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.