A Jan. 6 Capitol rioter who stormed the Senate floor was acquitted of obstruction charges Friday, reportedly marking a first such acquittal in the sprawling Justice Department prosecutions of the riot.
Joshua Black managed to avoid obstruction charges for his actions, but was convicted of multiple misdemeanor and felony charges for trespassing in a restricted building while wielding a weapon. Sentencing is slated for May 5.
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To lock down a guilty verdict on the obstruction charge, prosecutors needed to prove that Black harbored “corrupt” motivations, but U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson concluded they failed to make a strong case that he stormed the Capitol to obstruct official proceedings or was familiar with Congress’s deliberations that day, per Politico.
Black, who hails from Alabama, claimed in a YouTube video that he “wanted to get into the building so I could plead the blood of Jesus … That was my goal,” and was shown in the Senate chambers with blood on his face. He was also armed with a knife, contending that he didn’t want to be “defenseless” and that “you’re not allowed to carry guns in D.C.,” according to court documents.
Jackson also contended that there were some indications that Black was under the impression the election certification process concluded. An obstruction charge could carry up to 20 years behind bars, while some of the felony charges he was found guilty of range between six months to 10 years.
He was found guilty on counts of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds; and entering and remaining on the floor of Congress and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, according to the DOJ.
Black’s motivations for breaching Capitol grounds appeared to be rooted in both political and religious grievances.
“Once we found out Pence turned on us and that they had stolen the election, like officially, the … crowd went crazy. I mean, … it became a mob. We crossed the gate, we got up,” Black recounted in a YouTube video, per the Justice Department.
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So far, over 940 people have been charged in the Jan. 6 attack, including more than 500 who have been sentenced, the Associated Press reported.
