Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 41
- Location
- Dallas, Texas
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon (2 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; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Dismissed in part or full
Case Summary
Luke Coffee was identified in photos and videos of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by several people, including a college classmate who is now a special agent with the FBI, according to court documents. Coffee told investigators that he drove to Washington, D.C., from Dallas on Jan. 4. On the day of the attack, Coffee is allegedly seen assaulting police officers with a crutch among a mob of other people trying to enter the U.S. Capitol, according to police body camera footage. According to Texas Monthly, Coffee, a director and actor who appeared in the television show Friday Night Lights, stayed at an upscale resort in Texas after the insurrection to "clear his head" after images of him at the Capitol began to circulate on Twitter. Coffee told the magazine that a few months into the pandemic, he discovered QAnon and felt like he was "found."
Case History
Coffee pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Bench trial concluded 1/25/2024. Verdict on 12/13/2024 finds him Guilty on 7 charges and Not Guilty on 1 charge: Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building. Sentencing is set for 4/24/2025. 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.