Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 65
- Location
- Princeton, Texas
- Charges
- Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Court documents state that Dana Jean Bell was witnessed inside and outside the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, wearing a gray hat and purple backpack, and carrying a cell phone with a case depicting Donald Trump shirtless. Before entering the building, video footage showed Bell in an altercation with a television news crew, grappling with and kicking the news anchor and her cameraman. Shortly thereafter, she joins a throng of protesters pushing against officers at the door of the Capitol Rotunda, eventually prying the door open and entering the building. Bell spent approximately thirty minutes inside building, resisting efforts by police officers to remove her from the building and yelling profanities at them. She was arrested on Dec. 7, 2023.
Case History
Bell pleaded Guilty to the charge. Sentenced on 10/17/2024 to 17 months of Incarceration; 36 months of Supervised Release (with conditions); $100 Special Assessment; Restitution of $2,000. Bell 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 - Supporting Reporting
NPR video evidence pageNPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.