Florida Man Sentenced for Assault on Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

            WASHINGTON — A Florida man has been sentenced for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Christian Matthew Manley, 27, of Fort Walton Beach, was sentenced to 50 months incarceration, 36 months supervised release, $2000 restitution and $100 special assessment fee.  The sentence is the result of a guilty plea from November 19, 2021, where Manley plead guilty to assaulting, resisting, and impeding law enforcement while using a dangerous weapon.

            According to the statements of facts, Manley was captured on video in the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol, wearing a flak jacket, armed with bear spray, a collapsible police baton, and handcuffs as he approached the archway entrance. At approximately 2:53 p.m., he can be seen spraying bear spray at officers from the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department, who were defending the entrance. He threw the empty bear spray container at officers a few seconds later, then used a second cannister to again spray the officers. He then threw this cannister, too, at the officers. Then, at 2:55 p.m., he accepted a metal rod from another rioter and threw it at the officers.  Manley also wedged his body against a wall in the tunnel and used force to push the security door against officers defending the Capitol.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham, Alabama Field Office, as well as the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Manley as #81A in its seeking information photos, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 27 months since Jan. 6, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.