The events of January 6, 2023, continue to reverberate as another participant has admitted to their role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Joseph Fisher, a former Boston Police K-9 officer, pleaded guilty this week to eight federal charges, including assaulting a Capitol Police officer with a chair.
Fisher’s arrest came about after online “sedition hunters,” who have been assisting the FBI in identifying and prosecuting Capitol rioters, identified him from surveillance footage inside the Capitol. With the weight of the evidence against him, Fisher pleaded guilty to all charges, including felony civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
Joseph Fisher outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2024 – Image Source: USDCDC
According to prosecutors, Fisher entered the Capitol at 1:26 p.m. through the Senate wing doors on the west side, one of the first breach points. He then proceeded to make his way down the stairs to the Capitol Visitors Center, located undergrounds on the east side. It was there that Fisher assaulted a police officer who was in pursuit of another rioter deploying pepper spray.
Joseph Fisher assaulting a Capitol Police officer on Jan. 6, 2021 – Image Source: USDCDC
The attack was captured on Capitol Police footage and was released in connection with another Jan. 6 defendant’s case. Brad Rukstales, a former tech CEO from Illinois, received a 30-day prison sentence in November 2021. Fisher’s violent assault on the police officer ended with him on the ground, out of the camera frame.
Fisher, who opted to plead guilty without the benefit of a plea agreement, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24. As of now, his attorney has not responded to requests for comment.
It is essential to note that Fisher’s case is just one among the more than 1,250 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 attack. Federal prosecutors have already secured convictions against approximately 900 individuals, with more cases still being unsealed. The total number of potential charges could exceed 3,000. However, it is unlikely that federal prosecutors will reach that number before the statute of limitations expires in early 2026.
Stay tuned for further updates on this case and other developments related to the Capitol attack.
Source: F5mag.com