Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

WASHINGTON - An Arkansas man pleaded guilty today 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.

David Camden, 45, of Tontitown, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. Judge Chutkan will sentence Camden on Jan. 10, 2025.

According to court documents, Camden traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the former president's "Stop the Steal" rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election. After the rally, Camden made his way toward the U.S. Capitol building and entered the restricted permitter near the West Front of Capitol grounds. There, Camden climbed a media tower assembled for the upcoming Inauguration and waved a flag.

At approximately 1:20 p.m. - nearly twenty minutes after rioters initially breached the restricted grounds, Camden approached a bike rack barricade separating police officers from rioters on the Capitol's West Front. Camden then yelled at officers and forcefully pushed a bike rack barricade into a line of U.S. Capitol Police Officers. In response, officers successfully repelled Camden's advance and deployed a chemical irritant in Camden's direction to preempt further aggression.

After this incident, Camden remained on Capitol grounds and joined other rioters on the West Plaza. At approximately 2:11 p.m., Camden deployed a fire extinguisher toward a police line assembled to stop rioters from advancing on the Capitol.

The FBI arrested Camden on July 1, 2024, in Arkansas.

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 Western District of Arkansas.

This case is being investigated by the FBI's Little Rock and Washington Field Offices. Camden was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #286 on the FBI's seeking information images. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 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.