Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 62
- Location
- Hillsboro, Oregon
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers (3 counts); 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; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Court documents allege Reed Christensen initiated the removal of bike racks that were keeping rioters away from the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Despite officers using pepper spray on him, Christensen pushed through the bike racks and struck at least two police officers, according to an FBI statement of facts. Christensen flew from his home near Portland, Ore., to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, and returned Jan. 7, 2021, according to law enforcement databases cited in the court documents. A witness knew he had traveled to “participate in the events of Jan. 6” and contacted the FBI after seeing Christensen’s photo on FBI flyers advertised on a national news network. Christensen served in the U.S. Army from 1983 to 1987; and in the Army Reserve from 1988 to 1995. He had no combat deployments, an Army spokesperson confirmed. Before his service in the Army, he was in the Army National Guard.
Case History
Christensen pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Found Guilty on all charges in a Jury trial on 9/18/2023. Sentenced on 1/12/2024 to 46 months incarceration; 36 months supervised release; fine of $20,000; restitution of $2,000; special assessment of $260. Christensen 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.