Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 54
- Location
- Cross, South Carolina
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; 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; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
According to court documents, Christopher Rockey was identified by an unnamed informant who had been arrested by federal agents nearly a year after Jan. 6, 2021. The informant said that they had entered the Capitol building with Rockey that day, and that Rockey was wearing a helmet and carrying pepper spray. Rockey was also seen on security footage throughout the afternoon with a man named Edward Picquet, Jr. Rockey and Picquet entered the Capitol building at approximately 2:23 pm, around ten minutes after the initial breach of the building. They exited around twenty minutes later, and were subsequently seen in the middle of an altercation with officers outside on the Upper Terrace. Body-worn camera footage shows Rockey grabbing an officer's riot shield, while Picquet pushes him from the back, and the crowd chants "Hold the line!" According to sentencing memos filed in court, Rockey served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Case History
Rockey pleaded Guilty to one charge: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 11/12/2024 to 18 months of incarceration; 24 months of supervised release with conditions; Special Assessment: 100; Restitution: $2,000. Rockey 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.