Florida Man Arrested, Receives Four-Year Sentence for Capitol Attack Involving Flagpole

A protest took place at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., during which a Florida man arrested for causing physical injuries (Photo: ABC News)

Florida Man Arrested for Assaulting Police Officers with Flagpole Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison

According to NBC CT, in a recent case, a Florida man arrested for using a flagpole to assault law enforcement officers defending the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to four years in prison. Michael Steven Perkins, 40, residing in Plant City, received the sentence in a federal court in the District of Columbia. Alongside him, co-defendant Joshua Christopher Doolin, 25, from Lakeland, was handed a one-year-and-six-month prison term earlier.

Earlier this year, both were found guilty of felony civil disorder, unauthorized entry and remaining in a restricted government building, and engaging in disruptive conduct within. Doolin also faced a theft charge, whereas Perkins was separately convicted of assaulting a federal officer with a potentially lethal weapon and participating in violent acts on the restricted Capitol grounds.

The arrests of Doolin and Perkins, along with Joseph Hutchinson and Olivia Pollock, occurred on June 30, 2021. However, the Florida man arrested Hutchinson and Pollock managed to evade authorities in March by tampering with their court-mandated ankle monitors, prompting federal bench warrants for their arrest. Meanwhile, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $30,000 for information that leads to the capture and conviction of the fifth co-defendant, Jonathan Pollock, who is still at large.

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Mob Seeking to Challenge Election Results Attacked Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Following Trump’s Loss to Biden

According to ABC News, during the trial’s evidence and testimonies, the narrative crystallizes: Florida Man Arrested Doolin and Perkins positioned themselves on the west side of the Capitol on that momentous January 6. Almost like a movie scene, Florida Man Arrested Hutchinson, propelled by Perkins’s urging, found the courage to charge at the police line, unwavering in his pursuit to breach it, as the prosecutors vividly detailed.

Amidst the chaos, as officers rallied to aid a comrade, Florida Man Arrested Perkins seized a flagpole and thrust it into an approaching officer’s chest, according to authorities. With a swing, he then hit two officers on the back of their heads, as officials confirmed.

Moving forward, Florida Man Arrested Doolin, and Perkins approached the Capitol building. There, Doolin secured a crowd-control spray canister from the Metropolitan Police Department and a riot shield from the U.S. Capitol Police, prosecutors noted. He then shifted to a Capitol entrance passageway, using the stolen riot shield to join fellow rioters in pushing against police officers within the passageway, in an attempt to breach and enter the Capitol, officials recounted.

Attorneys for Florida Man Arrested Doolin and Perkins did not promptly respond to emails seeking comment from The Associated Press.

Since January 6, 2021, officials have reported over 1,100 arrests for Capitol breach-related crimes, with more than 350 individuals facing charges of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement.

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