09/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/03/2024 11:46
WASHINGTON- A Florida man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pled guilty to assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. 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.
Bryan Roger Bishop, 52, of Marathon, Florida, was sentenced to 45 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. Bishop pleaded guilty to a single count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers on April 30, 2024.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, by approximately 2:00 p.m., a crowd of rioters had breached various barriers that had been erected on the west side of the U.S. Capitol building and were attempting to overwhelm police officers positioned there. At approximately 2:02 p.m., Bishop emerged from the crowd and aimed and sprayed a chemical irritant canister at the line of police officers.
Court documents say that Bishop sprayed a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer directly in the face with an orange-colored chemical irritant and then sprayed a second MPD officer by aiming the spray at an upward angle in order to spray under the officer's face shield.
After spraying the officers on the West Plaza, Bishop entered the U.S. Capitol building at approximately 2:39 p.m. Inside, Bishop walked throughout various rooms, including the Rotunda, Statuary Hall, and the Statuary Hall Connector. After approximately 17 minutes, Bishop exited the Capitol building at approximately 2:56 p.m.
The FBI arrested Bishop on Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida provided valuable assistance.
This case was investigated by the FBI's Miami, San Antonio, and Washington Field Offices, which identified Bishop as BOLO ("Be on the Look Out") #466 on its seeking information photos.
In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 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.