Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 20
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Charges
- Obstructing or Impeding Certain Officers; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
At age 20 at the time of the riot, Emanuel Jackson is among the youngest defendants in the Capitol riot cases. He has been accused of using a metal baseball bat to repeatedly hit police officers defending the Capitol from the mob just outside the building, as the officers blocked the blows with plexiglass shields. In a video from Jan. 6, 2021, he is heard saying, “I am fighting for America — we have been taken over by globalists and the Chinese. … I am fighting for America." Jackson later turned himself in to police and told investigators that he went to the Capitol to "halt the counting of the electoral votes and prevent the Electoral College from certifying the results of the presidential election." Jackson's attorney described him as "recently homeless" and said in a court filing that he "has been diagnosed with several mental health conditions that limit his ability to perform the most basic daily functions." Both the government and Jackson's attorney say he has no criminal history as an adult. His lawyer also wrote in a Jan. 22, 2021, court filing that "the nature and circumstances of this offense must be viewed through the lens of an event inspired by the President of the United States."
Case History
Jackson pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. On 1/22/2025, 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.