GROVELAND, Fla. – Three Florida residents were arrested in connection with the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol, as the nation commemorated the third anniversary of the violent attack by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation apprehended Jonathan D Pollock, 24, his sister, Olivia M Pollock, 33, and Joseph D Hutchinson, 27, at a ranch in Groveland, Florida, the FBI said in a statement on Saturday. The trio will be arraigned on Monday.
They face charges of assaulting officers, violent entry into the Capitol, and other felonies. The three were indicted in April 2021, with Jonathan Pollock having gone into hiding shortly after the attack, and his sister and Hutchinson being arrested in June 2021 and released on bond. However, they fled shortly before they were due to go on trial in Washington, DC last March.
The FBI had offered a $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Jonathan Pollock, who they considered armed and dangerous. According to a 53-page indictment, Jonathan Pollock and Hutchinson were captured on video recordings, repeatedly punching officers during the riots. Pollock is also alleged to have grabbed riot shields from officers, and he and Hutchinson are accused of using one to strike an officer in the neck or face.
The assault on the Capitol was part of an effort to stop the certification of the 2020 election results, fueled by baseless claims that the election had been “rigged” against Trump. More than 2,000 people entered the Capitol building, causing extensive damage and searching for members of Congress.
US President Joe Biden criticized Trump for his inaction and election-related lies, describing it as “among the worst derelictions of duty by a president in American history.” Trump countered these remarks at a rally in Iowa, repeating unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
The aftermath of the attack has led to more than 950 people being charged with federal crimes, with some facing accusations of seditious conspiracy – a rare but serious offense. The US Department of Justice reported that 192 of those defendants have been sentenced to prison and 484 have pleaded guilty to various crimes.