WASHINGTON — Two Maryland men have been arrested on felony charges, including assaulting law enforcement officers, for their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Douglas Wyatt, 49, and his stepson, Jacob Michael Therres, 25, both of Fallston, Maryland, are charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, and interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, both felonies, and five related misdemeanor offenses. They were arrested on Nov. 14, 2022. They made their initial appearances today in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, Wyatt was involved in multiple assaults of law enforcement officers with a chemical spray on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol. He also shouted numerous obscenities at officers and helped pull away another rioter’s flag from an officer who attempted to grab it. Wyatt also handed a long, heavy plank to Therres, who used it to strike an officer in the head. The officer has experienced lingering medical effects from the blow to the head. Therres also sprayed a chemical irritant towards a line of officers.
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 District of Maryland.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Wyatt as #277 and Therres as #180 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 22 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 900 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 275 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.