A Maine man is in custody on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer, for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His 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.
Christopher Maurer, 45, formerly of Biddeford, Maine, is charged in a criminal complaint, filed in the District of Columbia, with two felonies: civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly and dangerous weapon; and five misdemeanors, including: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings; and engaging in an act of physical violence on capitol grounds or buildings. Maurer was arrested on Feb. 22 in Westbrook, Maine.
According to court documents, law enforcement identified Maurer (FBI BOLO #150-AFO) as an individual who pushed against police and swung a large pole at police officers who were defending an entrance to the U.S. Capitol on the Lower West Terrace known as “the tunnel” on January 6, 2021. Maurer initially entered the tunnel at approximately 3:01pm, and proceeded through the crowd of other rioters. After reaching the police line, Maurer attempted to pull a police shield and/or strike police officers who were helping another rioter experiencing a medical emergency. At approximately this same time, Maurer joined other rioters in pushing against the police line. He left the tunnel at approximately 3:08pm.
About 90 minutes later, Maurer entered the tunnel for a second time, screaming at and gesturing to officers on the police line. During this time, he was sprayed with oleoresin capsicum (“OC”) spray by officers while he screamed at and made obscene gestures at the officers. Maurer then picked up what appeared to be a long metal pipe or pole from the ground and swung it at the front line of police officers at the tunnel before leaving the tunnel area again.
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 Maine.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Boston Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Westbrook Police Department in Maine, the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 25 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 985 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including approximately 319 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Read more at the Justice Department
