Michael Leon Brock, 54, of Walls, Miss. charged this week for assaulting police Jan. 6: Google

Staff Report –

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Mississippi man was arrested Wednesday for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of counting the electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.

Michael Leon Brock, 54, of Walls, is charged with federal offenses that include assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, among other charges, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice.

Brock made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Mississippi Thursday morning.

According to court documents, Brock was on the Upper West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol around 4 p.m. on Jan. 6. As depicted in body-worn camera (BWC) footage, Brock charged at law enforcement officers while holding what appeared to be a four-foot-long rod as the officers attempted to control the crowd. As alleged, Brock repeatedly pushed and struck officers with the rod.

Michael Leon Brock, 54, of Walls, Miss. caught on video beating cops with a rod on Jan. 6: FBI

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. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and FBI Jackson Field Office’s Southaven Resident Agency, who identified Brock as #319 in its seeking information photos, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police Department, Southaven Police Department and Desoto County Sheriff’s Office.

In the six months since Jan. 6, more than 535 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 165 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.