FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono’s Remarks on Press Call Regarding Violence at U.S. Capitol
FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono delivered the following remarks during a press call regarding the January 6, 2021, violent activity at the U.S. Capitol. Remarks prepared for delivery.
We are here to provide an update on our progress in the investigation of last week’s siege of the Capitol. I want to assure you that an enormous amount of work has been done in the past nine days.
We are making progress on all fronts—the pipe bomb case, the rioting and violence investigation, and the death of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.
This is a large puzzle with so many pieces, and we are working diligently to put those pieces together.
We continue to work closely with our partners in the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as with other law enforcement partners here and across the country. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their partnership and collaboration in tracking down, arresting, and charging those responsible for the Capitol riots.
FBI personnel continue to work day and night gathering evidence, sharing intelligence, and working with federal prosecutors to bring charges.
To date, we’ve identified more than 270 suspects involved in criminal activity in and around the Capitol.
The FBI has arrested more than 40 subjects, and—with the help of our partners around the country—more than 100 individuals have been taken into custody.
We are methodically following all the leads to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
The American people have played a critical role in assisting us with these efforts.
On behalf of the FBI and our law enforcement partners, I want thank the American people for your incredible outpouring of tips to help us bring these perpetrators to justice. We are continuing to review them all and we ask that you keep them coming.
In the past week alone, we’ve received nearly 140,000 photos and videos from the public.
To those of you who took part in the violence, here’s something you should know: Every FBI field office in the country is looking for you.
As a matter of fact, even your friends and family are tipping us off. So you might want to consider turning yourself in instead of wondering when we’re going to come knocking on your door—because we will.
If you have tips—no matter how small—please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit photos and videos to fbi.gov/USCapitol—that’s Capitol with an “O.”
Your tips are helping us investigate people on a variety of federal charges.
Today, I want to focus on a particularly egregious charge—assault on a law enforcement officer.
Law enforcement officers risk their lives each and every day to protect the rights of the American people. Investigating violent assaults on these officers is a priority for the FBI and our partners.
You attack one of us, you attack us all.
Yesterday, we arrested the first subjects on these charges.
One is Peter Stager of Arkansas, who was captured on video using an American flag—the symbol of our democracy—to repeatedly strike a D.C. Metropolitan Police officer after he was dragged down the Capitol steps and forced into a prone position by a large group of rioters.
Also arrested yesterday is Robert Sanford, a retired Pennsylvania firefighter, who is alleged to have struck three U.S. Capitol Police officers with a fire extinguisher.
These are just two examples of the brutal assaults on law enforcement last week. We are working with the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police to identify and investigate all of these and other violent attacks on those who were doing their duty to protect the very symbol of our democracy, the U.S. Capitol.
The tips we have received from the public have been critical in furthering these investigations. You can see photos of additional suspects of assault on a law enforcement officer and help us find them by viewing our seeking information posters at fbi.gov.
This is an unprecedented incident.
If this investigation was a football game, we’d still be in the first quarter.
So let this be a reminder—the full force of the FBI is investigating the heinous acts we saw last week, and we will leave no stone unturned until we locate and apprehend anyone who participated in the violence.