Zachary Jordan Alam, 29, from the District of Columbia area was indicted for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers while using a dangerous weapon, among other charges, for his violent conduct within the U.S. Capitol building on January 6. After entering the Capitol building unlawfully, the man punched, kicked, and using a helmet, shattered the glass panels of doors leading to the Speaker’s Lobby as others who had breached the building also sought to force their way in further.
Alam was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on 11 counts. The indictment charges him with two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, one while using a dangerous weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b), and one with the intent to commit another felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1); one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(c)(2) and 2; one count of interfering with a federal officer during the commission of a civil disorder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 231(a)(3) and 2; one count of destruction of government property, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1361; three counts of unlawful entry, disorderly conduct, or violent conduct using a dangerous weapon in restricted buildings or grounds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1752(a)(1), 1752(a)(2), 1752(a)(4) and (b)(1)(A); and three counts of disorderly conduct, violent conduct, or parading or demonstrating in a Capitol building, in violation of Title 40, United States Code, Sections 5104(e)(2)(D), 5104(e)(2)(F), and 5104(e)(2)(G). Two of the counts – assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers while using a dangerous weapon, and obstruction of an official proceeding – carry maximum penalties of 20 years.
According to the indictment, Alam caused more than $1,000 worth of damage to the glass panels of the doors to the Speaker’s Lobby of the U.S. Capitol building. It is alleged that on January 6, the doors to an area known as the Speaker’s Lobby, a hallway that connects to the House Chamber, were barricaded and guarded by three officers of the United States Capitol Police. Video footage from inside the Capitol building shows Alam repeatedly punching the glass panels of the doors located immediately behind the officers and then kicking the glass and smashing the glass with a helmet, ultimately breaking the windows.
Alam was arrested and originally charged by criminal complaint on January 30, in Denver, Pennsylvania. On February 2, United States Magistrate Judge Richard A. Lloret of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ordered Alam detained pending his transfer to the District of Columbia for further proceedings.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with valuable assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.
The FBI is looking for individuals who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at fbi.gov/wanted/capitol-violence.
Read more at the Justice Department
