WASHINGTON — A Michigan man was arrested yesterday for assaulting law enforcement 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.
Matthew Thomas Krol, 63, of Linden, Michigan, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon or inflicting bodily injury, civil disorder, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and related offenses. He was arrested in Linden, Michigan, and will make his initial appearance today at the Flint courthouse of the Eastern District of Michigan.
According to court documents, Krol is the self-professed executive officer of the Genesee County Volunteer Militia. On Jan. 6, at approximately 2:28 p.m., he pushed forward through a crowd near the Capitol Steps on the east side of the building, threw a water bottle at police officers, pulled other civilians out of his way, and attacked an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. He grabbed the officer, spun him around, and stole his police baton. He then held up the baton to the crowd and used it to strike other officers, including one who was holding a shield.
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 Eastern District of Michigan.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Detroit Field Office’s Flint Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Krol as #291 in its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 13 months since Jan. 6, more than 750 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 235 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.
An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.