Brothers from Iowa and Utah have been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to their alleged conduct during the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Their alleged 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.
Christopher Jordan, 48, of St. George, Utah, and Earl Jordan, 50, of Dickens, Iowa, are charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offences of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
In addition to the felonies, the two men are charged with misdemeanour offences of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
The FBI arrested Christoper Jordan in St. George, Utah, and he will make his initial appearance in the District of Utah. Earl Jordan was arrested in Spencer, Iowa, and will make his initial appearance in the Northern District of Iowa.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2021, at approximately 2:04 p.m., individuals identified as Earl Jordan and Christopher Jordan were present on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C. Footage captured by police body-worn camera from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shows the two brothers in the area near the north scaffolding, an area that became a flashpoint during the day’s unrest.
It is alleged that Earl and Christopher were seen engaging with and confronting law enforcement officers in this area. As MPD officers made their way through the crowd of amassed rioters on the Lower West Terrace, it is alleged that an officer brushed past Earl Jordan. In response, Earl Jordan allegedly threw his elbow at the officer, knocking the officer off balance.
MPD officers then attempted to clear Earl Jordan from the area to allow other officers to advance. While this was ongoing, it is alleged that Christopher Jordan lunged toward another officer. Despite verbal commands from police to “get back,” the brothers continued their aggressive behaviour. Earl Jordan was allegedly captured swiping at an officer’s face before grabbing the officer by the throat in another encounter. Simultaneously, Christopher Jordan engaged another police officer, pushing and attempting to wrest control of the officer’s baton.
Despite repeated efforts by the officers to break free from the crowd and establish a police line on the Lower West Terrace, the Jordan brothers persisted, blocking law enforcement. Another rioter then attempted to pull Christopher Jordan’s backpack, causing him to release his grip on the officer’s baton. The brothers then disappeared into the crowd, allowing the officers to regroup behind their line.
Later that day, both brothers were seen in further confrontations near the North Door of the Capitol. Open-source video footage shows Earl Jordan picking up a piece of metal fencing and hurling it toward the North Door as officers struggled to prevent rioters from breaching the building. The Jordan brothers remained on Capitol grounds until the evening hours of January 6, when law enforcement successfully cleared the area.
