Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 30
- Location
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Charges
- Civil Disorder and Aiding and Abetting; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers (2 counts); Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Federal prosecutors say David Joseph Gietzen can be seen on video assaulting police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, while wearing a helmet and protective goggles. At one point, Gietzen allegedly pushed police officers and later grabbed an officer by the throat or mask. Later, Gietzen allegedly took a long pole and used it to attack police. Video evidence cited in court documents also allegedly shows Gietzen joining with rioters by the tunnel on the Capitol's lower west terrace, an area that saw some of the most intense violence during the attack. Tipsters first identified Gietzen to the FBI as a participant in the Capitol riot in early 2021, court documents state, but Gietzen was not arrested until May 2022.
Case History
Gietzen pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on all charges in a Jury trial on 8/31/2023. Sentenced on 4/23/2024 to 72 Months of Incarceration; Supervised Release of 36 Months; 100 hours community service; Special Assessment of $710. Gietzen 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.