Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 21
- Location
- Westport, Connecticut
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Civil Disorder; 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; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
For almost two hours, Benjamin Cohen joined other rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, in their efforts to push a line of police officers, both on the West Plaza and in the Lower West Terrace tunnel, court documents state. At one point, open-source video and police body-worn camera footage allegedly show Cohen and others breaching the police line where Cohen is seen making physical contact by pushing and shoving officers with his hands. In the tunnel, he allegedly joined others in a “heave-ho” effort, as they coordinate to push the officers. A photograph shows him inside an office with a broken window, through which he departs, court documents say.
Case History
Cohen pleaded Guilty to one charge: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers. Sentencing reset for 1/14/2025. On 1/21/2025, the court grants the government’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice.
Sources
- Primary Documentation
NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR - Primary Documentation
Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.