Tennessee man wearing 'Trump 2020' hat arrested after U.S. Capitol riot, documents show

Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read
Joshua John Portlock, of Smyrna, Tennessee, has been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, documents show.
Joshua John Portlock, of Smyrna, Tennessee, has been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, documents show.

Smyrna man Joshua John Portlock was arrested Wednesday in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, records show.

Video footage from the riot appeared to show Portlock pushing and moving barriers outside the Capitol, assaulting officers and joining a mob yelling "heave-ho" as they pushed into a tunnel on the Capitol's lower west terrace, according to a court document with a statement of facts from the FBI.

He faces seven charges:

  • Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers

  • Civil disorder

  • 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

  • Act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings

Portlock is the 19th person with Tennessee ties to be arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot. Court records show he is set to make an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather on Nov. 9.

Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock pushing at barriers and officers, a court document showed.
Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock pushing at barriers and officers, a court document showed.

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Multiple tips came in to the FBI about Portlock. One tipster said they used to work with him in Dallas, Texas, and recognized him from photos posted to the FBI's Capitol violence page, the document said. That person also provided a phone number for Portlock. The FBI then identified Portlock through public records and footage from the attack, along with speaking to a more recent co-worker of his that recognized him.

Document: Portlock was part of 'heave-ho' push in Capitol tunnel

Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock wearing a beanie with a Proud Boys emblem, a court document showed.
Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock wearing a beanie with a Proud Boys emblem, a court document showed.

The document said Portlock was wearing a white cowboy hat with the words “Trump 2020” on the front and “Stop the Steal” in red letters on the back. The hat also had an American flag pattern printed under the rim. Under the cowboy hat, he was wearing a black beanie with an emblem the FBI said is affiliated with the Proud Boys, a sometimes violent far-right group composed of all men.

Footage from Jan. 6 shows Portlock pushing against and moving barricades manned by officers and later joining other rioters in assaulting officers, the document stated. At one point he grabbed what appeared to be a piece of plywood and used it to ram into and climb over officers with other rioters.

Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock ramming into and climbing over officers with what looks like a piece of plywood, a court document showed.
Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock ramming into and climbing over officers with what looks like a piece of plywood, a court document showed.

Footage showed him in a tunnel on the lower west terrace where rioters pinned officers against doors as they tried to force their way into the Capitol, according to the document. Footage from the tunnel attack was widely circulated on social media and across the news.

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"Significantly, on at least two occasions, Portlock participated in 'heave-ho' efforts, by which multiple rioters collectively used their body mass for greater effect in pushing back officers by gaining momentum through leaning back and then pushing forward while chanting 'heave-ho' to coordinate their efforts," the document read.

Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock joining others in a "heave-ho" push in one of the building's tunnels, a court document showed.
Footage from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol appeared to show Tennessee man Joshua John Portlock joining others in a "heave-ho" push in one of the building's tunnels, a court document showed.

Footage showed him passing what appeared to be stolen U.S. Capitol Police riot shields to others to help fortify them during the "heave-ho" push, the document stated. He repeatedly disobeyed commands from officers to leave the tunnel. At one point during the tunnel altercation, Portlock appeared to stand aside with his hands up as another rioter struck an officer with a baton, according to the document.

Later, the document said, he appeared to check on one officer who had been beaten by rioters on the lower west terrace. He also grabbed the collar of another officer who had been beaten and pushed him into a handicap elevator, getting him away from other rioters.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN man with Trump, Proud Boys hats arrested in Jan. 6 insurrection