Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 45
- Location
- Helena, Montana
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon (2 counts); 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; 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 not guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
Open-source video and body-worn camera footage from Jan. 6, 2021, showed Frank Dahlquist spraying a chemical irritant at law enforcement officers multiple times while on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building, according to court documents. Subsequent footage showed Dahlquist throwing a small piece of lumber in the direction of officers, although it was far from making contact. He then entered the Capitol building through the Senate Wing Door at around 3:06 pm, spending 18 minutes inside before exiting. He was arrested on Jan. 10, 2024, in Montana.
Case History
Dahlquist pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Jury trial set for 1/27/2025. On 1/22/2025, the court ordered that the case is dismissed without 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.