Missouri Man Sentenced For Assaulting Law Enforcement Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

            WASHINGTON — A Missouri man was sentenced today for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Cale Douglas Clayton, 42, of Drexel, Missouri, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol.

            Clayton pleaded guilty, on March 10, 2023, to the felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Clayton traveled from his home in Drexel to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally and afterward walked to the north side of the Capitol building. At approximately 4:15 p.m., Clayton was present at the upper west terrace as law enforcement began to clear the area and protestors began to clash with police. While protestors were pushing against police, Clayton picked up a police baton that had been dropped by an officer. Clayton then forcibly grabbed a riot shield held by a police officer.

            Later, at approximately 4:28 p.m., Clayton made his way to another confrontation between police and protestors.  At this time, police attempted to recover the baton from Clayton. In response, Clayton forcibly made contact with a police officer by grabbing the face shield of the officer’s helmet and pushing the officer backward.

            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 Western District of Missouri.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department, Arlington County, Virginia Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 30 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,069 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 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.