Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 57
- Location
- Pompano Beach, Florida
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers (6 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 with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; 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
On Jan. 6, 2021, Kenneth Bonawitz assaulted multiple police officers on Capitol grounds, according to court documents. Shortly after 2:30 pm that day, he was one of the first rioters to push through a line of officers on the West Front of the building. Bonawitz wore an eight-inch hunting knife in a nylon sheath attached to his hip. According to the FBI, he threw himself over two law enforcements officials, tackling them to the ground, and injuring one officer’s neck and shoulder. An MPD sergeant then saw and removed his knife and escorted him back into the crowd. But, court documents allege, Bonawitz kept coming back and engaging officers, wrapping his arms around one and inserting his forearm under her face shield, and briefly lifting her off the ground. He also swung and knocked another officer, hitting him near his face and causing him to fall. He hit a fifth officer in his abdomen. He continued to assault additional officers in the altercation. In March, when interviewed by the FBI, he denied engaging in assault. According to the FBI, Bonawitz appeared on a Proud Boys meetup poster in South Florida in 2022.
Case History
Bonawitz pleaded Guilty to three charges: Civil Disorder and two counts of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 1/17/2024 to 60 months of incarceration with credit for time served; 36 months of supervised release; Special assessment of $300; Restitution in the amount of $2,000. Bonawitz 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.