Jan. 6 Rioter Tackled by Feds While Attempting to Flee Court

Jan. 6 defendant Vitali GossJankowski was tackled to the ground in an altercation inside a D.C. courtroom on Monday. Several federal agents were required to subdue the defendant in a fracas that reportedly toppled tables. CBS News was the first to report the altercation.

The scuffle erupted moments after U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman revoked GossJankowski’s conditional release pending his sentencing. GossJankowski was convicted in March of several misdemeanor and felony offenses related to his participation in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, which included pushing, spitting on, and pulling at the protective shields of law enforcement officers.

Prosecutors requested GossJankowski’s pre-sentencing release be rescinded after he allegedly sent intimidating and harassing text messages and posted threats on social media against several law enforcement officials who had testified against him. According to a court filing, the messages included racist and antisemitic language targeting the officers.

Justice Dept asks court to jail Jan 6 defendant Vitali GossJankowski until sentencing.

In a new motion, the feds argue – among other things – that GossJankowski sent these texts over the weekend to a law enforcement officer ..

(warning: language)https://t.co/e2M8SAYE0M pic.twitter.com/FJPV6wZrKK — Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) October 18, 2023

When Judge Friedman ruled that GossJankowski would be remanded into custody and jailed until his sentencing, the defendant fought against courtroom officers attempting to handcuff him. GossJankowski reportedly tried to flee from the courtroom and dragged several officers towards the door. Nearly a dozen officers were called to restrain GossJankowski, who is deaf, as his attorney and ASL interpreter attempted to communicate with him. The monitor displaying the ASL interpreter, who had called in via Zoom, was knocked down in the altercation.

Earlier in the hearing, GossJankowski’s attorneys argued that the First Amendment protected GossJankowski’s messages and posts. “I’m not detaining him for his First Amendment views,” Judge Friedman told the court, “I’m detaining him for […] for lack of a better word, for inciting violence.”