A Brownsburg couple has been arrested on allegations they participated in a collective assault against law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Arthur and Jessica Reyher, both 38, were charged Wednesday with felony civil disorder and related misdemeanors, including trespassing and impeding passage on restricted grounds, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
They’re scheduled to make an initial court appearance later Wednesday.
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A criminal complaint alleges the Reyhers were among a crowd of rioters who repeatedly assaulted officers guarding the Capitol Building inside its Lower West Terrace and tunnel areas; there, the couple and other rioters are accused of joining a coordinated effort to push past officers.
The Reyhers first entered the tunnels about 2:43 p.m. and were among the first of the rioters to do so. The couple exited and then re-entered the tunnel three separate times and used their body weight in unison with other rioters to “engage in violent heave-ho pushes against the officers’ line,” according to the complaint.
At one point, an officer became stuck between a shield and metal door frame and screamed in “agonizing pain,” according to the complaint.
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During the encounter, rioters used stolen police shields and batons to push against and hit officers while thrusting objects and spraying a fire extinguisher at them. The complaint does not say Arthur or Jessica Reyher used objects against officers but says they were part of the collective attack.
Surveillance footage captured Arthur Reyher yelling commands to the crowd such as “Don’t hit ‘em! Keep your hands up and push!” and “Our house!”, according to the complaint.
The pushing lasted for several minutes until after 3:17 p.m. when officers forced the rioters out of the tunnel.
FBI investigators identified Arthur and Jessica Reyher as suspects after receiving an anonymous tip that they were making Facebook posts about attending the riot.
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Arthur Reyher told investigators he believed former president Donald Trump lost the presidential election because of voter fraud, according to the complaint.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis and Washington field offices.
To date, about 1,000 people have been arrested across all 50 states on charges related to the riot. Of those arrested, more than 320 are charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
A full list of Capitol breach cases nationwide is available online.
