WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Boca Raton man was charged with a felony and misdemeanors for his actions among those breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the Department of Justice announced.
Richard Cook, 37, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with civil disorder, a felony, and related misdemeanor offenses. He was arrested Thursday in Florida.
Cook was among rioters who repeatedly engaged in violence against law enforcement officers guarding the Capitol.
Cook confronted law enforcement officers in the Lower West Terrace and tunnel areas of the Capitol, according to the Depament of Justice. He entered the tunnel at 3:12 p.m., making his way into the mob of rioters coordinating pushes against police officers while yelling “HEAVE HO!” and “PUSH!,” DOJ said.
Cook entered the tunnel two separate times in efforts against police officers as the rioters tried to gain access to the Capitol building. While Cook joined in collective pushes, one police officer screamed in pain as the weight of the rioters’ pushes pinned him between a shield and a door. DOJ said.
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.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office — West Palm Beach Resident Agency and Washington Field Office, which identified Cook at #185 on its seeking information photos.
In the 26 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 999 individuals have been arrested ifor crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
