US Capitol Riot

Athol Man Accused of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Riot at U.S. Capitol

Vincent J. Gillespie, 60, of Athol, is accused of attacking law enforcement officers with a police shield

U.S. Department of Justice

A man from Athol, Massachusetts has been arrested in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the FBI confirmed Friday.

Vincent J. Gillespie, 60, of Athol, is accused of using a police shield to ram into officers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. He is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and related offenses.

According to court documents filed this week, Gillespie was among the rioters on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol who fought with law enforcement in the area. He was identified with the help of tips from the public after the FBI released surveillance photos and images from police body cameras from the scene. He was identified as #141 on the FBI Washington Field Office's seeking information photos.

Investigators allege that Gillespie used a police shield to ram into officers, screaming "traitor" and "treason" at the police. He is also accused of grabbing an officer's arm and trying to pull him into the crowd.

It was a busy year for federal agents, with over 700 people arrested since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. NBCLX Political Editor Noah Pransky breaks down the numbers and talks about the aftermath of the day, and President Joe Biden's fiery speech that was unlike his usual self.

Gillespie will make his initial court appearance Friday in Massachusetts.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section will prosecute the case.

More than 750 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 breach into the U.S. Capitol by a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump, which disrupted a count of the electoral votes related to the presidential election. Gillespie was arrested by the FBI Boston's Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force, and FBI Boston notes he is the 14th person arrested in the area.

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