A police officer from North Carolina, John Joseph Carl of Pinetops, has been arrested by federal authorities for allegedly forcing his way through barriers and into the office of a U.S. senator during the January 6th Capitol riots.
Carl was taken into custody on Thursday and faces a felony charge for obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder, along with several misdemeanor charges including entering and remaining in a restricted area, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, and demonstrating in a Capitol building.
Pinetops police officer
He joined the Pinetops police department in December 2023 after completing his training at Edgecombe Community College.
2021 Interview
In February 2021, federal investigators interviewed Carl, who confessed to participating in the riot and shared video footage from his phone showing him pushing against Capitol police and breaching the building. He stated that he had just come from a rally held by former President Donald Trump, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
“On our side, there wasn’t a whole lot of like swinging or throwing … it was just you know guys putting their shields pushing back on the crowd,” Carl said during an interview with the feds.
Aggressive rioters
The authorities also alleged that Carl was among “other aggressive rioters“ who resisted officers trying to disperse the crowd. Body camera footage reportedly shows him raising his arms against officers and grabbing an officer’s arm and baton.
This incident occurred at 2 p.m. on January 6, 2021, and by 3:05 p.m., Carl and a friend entered the office of Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.
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