North Texas man sentenced for assaulting law enforcement officer at Jan. 6 Capitol riot
A North Texas man was sentenced to prison Wednesday for assaulting a law enforcement officer at the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
“His 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,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said n a news release.
Garret Miller, 36, of Richardson, was sentenced in the District of Columbia to 38 months in prison on charges of assaulting a police officer, interstate threat to injure or kidnap, three counts of interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, impeding ingress and egress in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Miller pleaded guilty to the charges in December.
U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols also ordered three years of supervised release in addition to Miller’s prison term.
Miller traveled to Washington, D.C.., on Jan. 6, 2021, to stop Congress’ certification of the 2020 presidential election, according to court documents. He brought rope, a grappling hook, a mouth guard, and a bump cap with him — tools that he referred to as “riot gear”— and stated that he “looked forward” to fighting what he called the “soft” people that he might encounter in Washington, D.C.
Miller was obsessed with the results of the 2020 presidential election and his belief that it had been stolen, according to the news release. He had posted threats on social media to multiple people, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, Mark Zuckerburg, and Jack Dorsey.
Miller was at the forefront of every barrier overturned, police line overrun, and entryway breached within his proximity that day, federal authorities said. He was so disruptive on the east front of the building that he was twice detained, the second time resulting in him being put in handcuffs, according to the news release. After being released and vowing to leave, Miller instead stayed at the riot, initially recording himself talking about a revolution.
Miller then forced his way past the United States Capitol Police and entered the rotunda, accessing the Senate Chamber before being turned back to the rotunda. As the line of USCP and Metropolitan Police officers tried to remove the rioters, Miller stayed on the front lines, assaulted an MPD sergeant, and engaged in a physical altercation with no fewer than six officers.
Miller then made his way to the west front following his ejection from the building, where he watched the violent encounter at the lower west terrace tunnel until finally leaving the Capitol grounds after 5 p.m, according to the news release.
Regarding Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s social media post to “Impeach,” Miller directly responded with, “Assassinate AOC” at 7:26 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021. Following the riot and up until his arrest, Miller continued to discuss his desire to “start assassinating,” bragged to his friends about how he “terrified [c]ongress,” and openly discussed his desire to publicly identify the officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt at the riot and “hug his neck with a nice rope.”
“Miller was so proud of his conduct, that when he was arrested on January 20, 2021, he was found wearing a shirt with an image of the former president and the words ‘I was there, Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021’,” the release said.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas and Washington Field Offices. Assistance was provided by the MPD’s U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 25 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 985 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including approximately 319 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
The investigation remains ongoing.
