Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 37
- Location
- Plant City, Florida
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; 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 not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
On Jan. 6, 2021, at approximately 2:04 p.m., footage shows a line of police officers with riot shields trying to guard the west side of the U.S. Capitol from the advancing crowds, according to court documents. Michael Steven Perkins, alongside several other individuals, is allegedly seen engaging in multiple altercations with the police, including thrusting a flagpole into the chest of an officer who is trying to assist other officers. According to the FBI, he is then seen raising the same flagpole over his head and striking the officer in the back or the back of the head. The Justice Department says Perkins was arrested on June 30, 2021, alongside three other individuals.
Case History
Perkins pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on all charges in a Bench trial concluded on 3/15/2023. Sentenced on 8/17/2023 to 48 Months of Incarceration; 36 Months of Supervised Release; Special assessment of $510. Perkins 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 - Supporting Reporting
NPR video evidence pageNPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.