Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 50
- Location
- Bowie, Arizona
- Charges
- Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers (3 counts); Civil Disorder; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Jacob L. Zerkle allegedly told FBI agents that he drove from Arizona to Washington, D.C., with a family member “to protest about election integrity … not to listen to speeches." Police body camera footage shows a man with large mutton chops, whom police claim to be Zerkle, as he grabbed at officers and threw a punch on the U.S. Capitol’s West Lawn on Jan. 6, 2021, according to an FBI statement of facts. FBI agents claim Zerkle says he “probably did something dumb” when they interviewed him in October of 2021, according to the statement of facts. That court document adds that Zerkle says he was shoved into police while trying to protect himself and that he didn’t intend to assault a police officer. He was arrested March 15, 2022, in Tucson, Ariz. According to sentencing memos filed in court, Zerkle served in the U.S. Navy.
Case History
Zerkle pleaded Guilty to two charges: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; and Civil Disorder. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 2/22/2024 to 24 months incarceration; 36 months of supervised release; 200 hours of community service; $200 special assessment; $2,000 restitution. Zerkle 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.