Missouri Men Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

            WASHINGTON — Two Missouri men have been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including for assaulting law enforcement, related to their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their 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.

           Jared Luther Owens, 41, of Farmington, Missouri, and Jason William Wallis, 49, of St. Clair, Missouri, are charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and assault on law enforcement with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

           In addition to the felonies, Owens and Wallis are charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds or in any of the Capitol buildings, engaging in physical violence in the Capitol grounds or any of the Capitol buildings, and parade, demonstrate, or picket in any of the Capitol buildings.

           Owens was arrested on October 27 in Missouri, and Wallis was arrested October 28 in Missouri.  Wallis and Owens will make their initial appearance today in the District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. 

           According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Owens and Wallis attended the "Stop the Steal" rally near the Washington Monument and afterward walked with other protestors to the restricted area on the northwest side of the U.S. Capitol building. Owens and Wallis are captured in open-source video from that day pursuing and screaming at U.S. Capitol Police Officers in riot gear as they retreated from the former positions to the east along the north side of the building. Eventually, the officers reached the concrete plaza at the northeast corner of the Capitol, with Owens and Wallis nearby. In another open-source video, Owens and Wallis are filmed walking among the officers, yelling and screaming and making statements such as "coming up the stairs with you there or not."

           A short while later, officers moved bike racks to form a barricade that would prevent rioters from getting closer to the Capitol. This barricade was formed at the top of a set of concrete stairs on the northeast corner of the building. Wallis and Owens stood directly at the bike rack barricade. In an open-source video, Wallis is seen grabbing onto the barricade and, with the help of Owens, shoving the barricade into the line of officers, which caused one officer to sustain a fracture to her right hand and wrist.

           After the assault near the northeast corner, Wallis and Owens advanced toward the east front of the Capitol, with Owens leading a crowd of rioters in chanting, "Whose House? Our House!" Wallis and Owens then tried unsuccessfully to breach the Capitol on the East side through the Senate Carriage Door. When they could not enter here, the duo proceeded around the Capitol to the West side to the Upper West Terrace, where, at approximately 2:46 p.m., they joined other rioters and entered through the Senate Fire Door.

           At approximately 3:01 p.m., Wallis confronted a line of law enforcement officers at an intersection of hallways near the Brumidi Corridor. At this location, the line blocked rioters from going further. Wallis successfully breached the line of officers and walked further into the Capitol. Multiple other rioters followed Wallis past the officers and down the hallway. At approximately 3:07 p.m., Wallis exited the Capitol through a door on the north side. He was inside the building for approximately 21 minutes.

           Owens assaulted a second officer, this one inside the Capitol. After breaching the building, Owens encountered a police line.  Owens broke through the line and pushed an unidentified USCP officer up against a wall. After seeing the assault of the other officer, a second officer detained Owens. During a search of Owens, the officer found a folding knife in Owens’ right front pocket.

           On Jan. 7, 2021, Wallis sent text messages to another number that included, "[w]e bought old riot police got f— beat with batons teargas maced and literally fought them so they didn't let us into shit"; and "I was on the front lines."

           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. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.

           This case is being investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in St. Louis, Missouri, and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department, the Farmington Police Department, and Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.

           In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

           A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.