Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 37
- Location
- Lecanto, Florida
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; 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; 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
- Convicted; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
Jesse James Rumson wore a distinctive headpiece from a panda costume throughout the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, earning him the online nickname of #SeditionPanda, according to an FBI statement of facts. The FBI claims Rumson was among the first 20 rioters to enter through the Parliamentary Door of the Capitol once it was breached that afternoon. About 15 minutes later, surveillance footage allegedly shows Rumson leaving the building in handcuffs without his panda headpiece. The court documents claim photos show other rioters removing the handcuffs and then Rumson holding his freed hand up, “celebrating the removal of the handcuffs” while clutching some wooden rosary beads. Shortly after, open-source video shows Rumson yelling, “GET A RAM!” as the Senate Wing door was breached a second time, according to the court documents. Later, at about 4:20 p.m., as police tried to push rioters off the Capitol grounds, Rumson “assaulted at least one law enforcement officer … running through the crowd towards the officer, reaching out, and grabbing the officer’s face shield.” He was arrested on Feb. 27, 2023, in Lecanto, Fla.
Case History
Rumson found Guilty on all charges in a Bench trial on 5/24/2024. Sentencing reset for 2/12/2025. 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.