WASHINGTON — An Alabama man was arrested today on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Bobby Wayne Russell, 48, of Falkville, Alabama, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers and interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, both felony charges. He also is charged with four related misdemeanor offenses. Russell was arrested in Falkville and is making his initial appearance today in the Northern District of Alabama.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Russell was among rioters confronting officers at a line of bicycle barricades on the southwest side of the Capitol grounds. Russell resisted police orders to move away. After he was sprayed by a police officer with a chemical irritant, Russell grabbed onto a bike rack. The barricade broke apart, and Russell pulled the jacket of a Metropolitan Police Department Officer, causing both to fall at least four steps to the ground.
Later that day, at approximately 4:20 pm, law enforcement officers formed a line and attempted to clear the area near the Senate Wing doors. Russell refused orders to leave the area and pushed his back and buttocks into the riot shields of several officers. He then turned around to face one officer and declared, “I’m not scared of you and I’m not weak.”
This 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 Northern District of Alabama.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Russell as #492 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 19 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 860 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 260 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.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
