Defendant Accused of Repeatedly Accosting Police Officers
WASHINGTON — A Missouri man was arrested today for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Cale Clayton, 41, of Drexel, Missouri, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, theft of government property, and related offenses. He was arrested in Drexel, Missouri, and will make his initial appearance today in the Western District of Missouri.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, as early as 2:55 p.m., Clayton was illegally on Capitol grounds, pointing his finger at officers and shouting, “We are going to win … You might spray me with pepper spray. I don’t give a f—. There ain’t enough for millions of people here and you know it.” He remained at the Capitol throughout the afternoon. From 3:20 to 3:25 p.m., he yelled and pointed at officers from beneath scaffolding at the Capitol, saying, among other things, “You guys are losing a lot of bodies” and “Get that pepper spray out … not enough.” Later, at about 4:15 p.m., Clayton was on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol, where police officers were attempting to clear the area. While there, on two separate occasions, he grabbed a police shield being held by a law enforcement officer. He also took a police baton that was dropped by a law enforcement officer. While holding the baton, Clayton grabbed yet another officer’s shield. Police attempted to recover the baton from Clayton, and he made contact with his right hand with one of the officers. He also grabbed a police officer’s helmet in another confrontation.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department, Arlington County, Virginia Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 14 months since Jan. 6, more than 775 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 245 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Information released by justice.gov.
