PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Shaky body camera video depicts chaos at the front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Moments later, as the video slows down, a man in yellow gloves is seen shoving a Capitol police officer.
The man was Reed Christensen from Hillsboro.
The 62-year-old was arrested on federal charges after allegedly pushing back and hitting federal law enforcement during the U.S. Capitol attack, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Christensen faces two counts of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricting building or grounds without lawful authority; engaging in any act of physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building; engaging in an act of physical violence in the grounds of the Capitol building; and forcibly assaulting, resisting, impeding or interfering with law enforcement.
He made his initial court appearance Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s press release. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.
Christensen was allegedly on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, and according to court documents, was caught on surveillance and body-worn cameras from law enforcement that showed Christensen hitting and pushing officers and was “aggressive” as he removed metal bike rack barriers.
Federal authorities said that around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6, Christensen tried to breach the barrier when a Metro DC police officer sprayed him with a chemical irritant. Despite this, Christensen allegedly charged through the perimeter to get away from law enforcement officers and then punched a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
Christensen’s image was circulated by the FBI in a video that sought information on 10 other subjects in March, and is the first one of those 10 subjects to be arrested.
More than 400 people have been arrested since Jan. 6 in connection with the Capitol attack, including three other Oregon men. Five people died in the melee that day after a protest rally for former President Donald Trump nearby turned into a riot to disrupt a joint session of U.S. Congress to count and ascertain electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
KOIN 6 News will have more on this story as it develops.