Former Marine from King George charged for Jan. 6 insurrection
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KING GEORGE, Va. (WWBT) - A Virginia man and former U.S. Marine made his initial court appearance on Thursday following charges connecting him to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
James Russell Davis, a 45-year-old man from King George, Virginia, faces several federal charges including assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. He’s also charged with obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, among other charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to court documents, Davis was on the west front terrace stairs of the U.S. Capitol when he confronted officers who were trying to protect the building from rioters. Footage from officers’ body-worn cameras, or BWC, showed Davis charging toward officers with a large stick.
Court documents state an officer shouted for Davis to move back, and Davis did not follow the command and again charged at the officers. Footage showed Davis shouting and pushing down the hands of a second officer trying to block Davis from moving forward.
“Davis is further seen in BWC footage pointing to his U.S. Marine Corps ball cap and stating, ‘I fought for this country… I’m a military f****** police,’ as he pushed officers while wielding the large stick,” stated a release from the Department of Defense.
Video taken on Jan. 6 shows Davis with the same attire and pole as a person who identified himself as a Virginia Proud Boy. The Proud Boys is a group self-described as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists,” the release stated.
The 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.
In six months, more than 535 individuals have been arrested in nearly all states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. More than 165 individuals were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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