CASPER, Wyo. — A Wyoming man was convicted Wednesday of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including assaulting law enforcement with a flagpole during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice
Douglas Harrington, 69, of the unincorporated town of Bedford in the Star Valley, was found guilty of felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers in the ruling by U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the District of Columbia.
Harrington’s 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.
Harrington also was found guilty of five misdemeanor offenses including:
- Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.
- Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
- Engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds.
- Disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
- An act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings
Harrington is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Harrington arrived on the U.S. Capitol grounds wearing a cowboy hat, painter’s respirator mask and military-style backpack, carrying American and Trump 2020 flags attached to a flagpole.
The flagpole was described as a long metal pipe with a silver ball flagpole topper, according to court documents.
About 3:42 p.m., Harrington approached a line of police officers on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol grounds and challenged them with provocative gestures.
He then used the bottom portion of his flagpole to swiftly strike in the direction of an officer.
In response, an officer deployed chemical irritants at Harrington.
At the same time, another rioter approached the police line near Harrington, and police officers concentrated their efforts to push that one away.
While the officers’ attention was directed at the other rioter, Harrington raised his flagpole to strike at the distracted officers.
An officer quickly intervened, moved toward Harrington and extended a police baton. Harrington swung the flagpole at this officer, striking the officer near the left hand and wrist and on the helmet. He swung the flagpole toward the police line two more times before retreating into the crowd.
He and other rioters then lifted a large, flat, opaque piece of material in front of the police line, walking with it in front of the officers. That blocked the officers’ view and impeded their ability to defend from the advancing crowd.
When officers pushed back the crowd, Harrington grabbed at an officer’s baton and tried to shove an officer by pushing on a riot shield.
Additional officers soon arrived as reinforcement and they began removing rioters from the Capitol.
However, Harrington resisted, sitting on the short row of steps in front of the police line as the officers began to move closer to the crowd. He forcibly pressed his back into the officers.
Police eventually removed Harrington from the Capitol grounds less than 15 minutes before the D.C. mayor’s curfew order went into effect.
The FBI arrested Harrington on Aug. 8, 2023.
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 Wyoming U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The FBI’s Denver and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case. Harrington was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #470. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In the 42 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,470 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. More than 530 individuals were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony.
The investigation continues.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
