Georgia Man Charged for Alleged Role in U.S. Capitol Riot
WASHINGTON — A man from Georgia has been formally charged for his alleged participation in the January 6, 2021, breach at the U.S. Capitol, which disrupted a joint session of Congress held to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
Leander Antwione Williams, 31, from Savannah, Georgia, faces charges in the District of Columbia. The charges include a felony for assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
Williams also faces multiple misdemeanor charges. These include entering and remaining in restricted areas, disorderly conduct, engaging in physical violence in restricted spaces, and acts of violence within the Capitol buildings and grounds.
The FBI apprehended Williams in Savannah, and he is set to make his initial court appearance in the Southern District of Georgia.
Court documents outline that on January 6, 2021, Williams allegedly was part of the initial group of rioters breaching the restricted perimeter near the Capitol’s Peace Monument. He reportedly confronted and overpowered Capitol Police at the Pennsylvania Walkway perimeter, advancing towards the West Plaza where officers were forming defensive lines.
At around 1:13 p.m., as officers worked to maintain control using metal bike racks, Williams allegedly tried to seize a rack from an officer. He then purportedly lunged at another officer, swatting at his hand as the officer deployed spray to deter the rioters.
Despite increasing conflicts between rioters and police, Williams reportedly remained at the forefront, using other rioters as cover. At approximately 1:38 p.m., body camera footage shows Williams approaching the barricades again. He allegedly attempted to pull a barricade from the police line, striking an officer on the head with force when pushed back.
Williams reportedly rejoined the rioters and at about 2:09 p.m., attempted to breach the officers’ defensive formation again. Approximately 18 minutes later, with barriers removed, he allegedly grabbed and shoved two officers in another attempt to break through.
After these altercations, rioters retook the West Plaza. Williams reportedly participated in chants of “U.S.A.!” while raising his fists. After briefly treating himself for exposure to spray, he moved towards the Lower West Terrace, a focal point of the day’s violence, remaining there until he left the Capitol grounds later that evening.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are leading the prosecution. Support came from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
The investigation is conducted by the FBI’s Atlanta and Washington Field Offices, with assistance from the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. Williams was identified as AFO (Assault on Federal Officer) #419 from FBI images.
Since January 6, 2021, over 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly every state regarding the Capitol breach, with more than 590 accused of assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers. The investigation is ongoing.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
