Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 48
- Location
- Falkville, Alabama
- Charges
- Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Civil Disorder (2 counts); 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; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Bobby Wayne Russell, of Falkville, Alabama, went to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with his wife Deborah, prosecutors say. Russell wore a red “Alabama Crimson Tide” hoodie, a brown coat, a red and white hat, and jeans, court documents show – an outfit that investigators say can be seen in body worn camera footage from law enforcement. Prosecutors allege that Russell pushed against a bike barricade with his back, was pepper sprayed by law enforcement, and grabbed onto the barrier. Court documents show that when the barriers broke apart, Russell held on to the barrier while grabbing an officer’s jacket, causing them both to fall. According to the FBI, Russell and his wife later stood near the Senate wing doors until police formed a line to clear the area. Prosecutors say Russell once again pushed against law enforcement, this time against their shields. Court documents show Russell told officers, “I’m not scared of you and I’m not weak” as well as, “there’s more of us than you guys, you’re gonna lose.” Investigators say Russell posted pictures of himself in D.C. on Facebook and that records from a search warrant to Google were consistent with Russell’s phone being within the restricted grounds of the Capitol. Russell was arrested in August of 2022.
Case History
Russell pleaded Guilty to one charge: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 11/17/2023 to 12 months and 1 day of incarceration; 24 months of supervised release, the first 6 months on home detention; 250 hours of community service; $100 special assessment; $2,000 restitution. Russell received a full pardon on January 20, 2025
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.