Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Location
- Glendora, California
- Charges
- Destruction of Government Property; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Hunter Ehmke was part of the crowd confronting police and overturning barricades outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to court documents. The documents say Ehmke found a window that led into the Capitol office building and beat on it with his fist until it shattered. An officer knocked Ehmke over with his shield, the two fell to the ground, and Ehmke was handcuffed. The police officers in the area, however, were quickly overwhelmed by the crowd, the court filing says, and someone in the crowd told the officer who had Ehmke in custody that he would not be able to leave with him. Given the menace growing within the crowd, the officers took Ehmke’s driver’s license and released him. He was arrested in California a week later. The Architect of the Capitol has estimated that the cost to replace the broken window is $2,821.
Case History
Ehmke pleaded Guilty to one charge: Destruction of Government Property. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 5/13/2022 to 4 months incarceration; 36 months of supervised release; $2,821 restitution; $100 special assessment. Ehmke 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.