Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 61
- Location
- St. Augustine, Florida
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Theft of Government Property; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Impeding Ingress and Egress in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Deceased
Case Summary
John Steven Anderson attempted to enter the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, through a tunnel to a lower level of the building, according to court documents. As he got closer to the door, Anderson is seen on officer body camera footage holding a police shield, which he later released at the request of an officer, according to court documents. The officer warned Anderson that he would "spray" him if he did not release the shield, according to court documents. It is unclear whether that happened, but Anderson is later seen sitting down among the crowd. When asked to get up, Anderson stands up and is heard saying he has “asthma,” he “can’t breathe” and "possibly that he was collapsing," according to court documents. Police then brought him inside the building, where he was escorted to an EMT and later arrested. He died Sept. 21, 2021, at Baptist Hospital South in Jacksonville, Fla., according to an obituary published by the St. John’s Family Funeral Home and his lawyer.
Case History
Anderson pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. He died Sept. 21, 2021, at Baptist Hospital South in Jacksonville, Florida, according to an obituary published by the St. John’s Family Funeral Home and his lawyer. The court granted the order for abatement of prosecution on 10/1/2021
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.