Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 47
- Location
- Olathe, Kansas
- Charges
- Conspiracy; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder and Aiding and Abetting; Threatening a Federal Officer; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds and Carrying a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon, that is, a wooden axe handle
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Dubbed "#axehole" on Twitter, William Chrestman was identified by law enforcement in photographs and videos from Jan. 6, 2021, wearing camouflage pants and a green tactical vest and carrying "what appeared to be a wooden club or axe handle" with a blue flag wrapped around it, according to court documents. Chrestman can be seen on video marching closely and chanting with a group led by Proud Boys organizers Joseph Biggs and Ethan Nordean, who are also facing charges. According to law enforcement, strips of orange tape on some of Chrestman's belongings help link him to several others and is allegedly a sign that the group was strategically working together. Shortly after 1 p.m., the group toppled a police barricade and approached a line of U.S. Capitol Police officers, where Chrestman yells at an officer: "You shoot and I'll take your f****** a** out!" according to court documents. In another video detailed by the FBI, Chrestman turns to face the mob and yells, "Do you want your house back?" The crowd responded "Yes!" and Chrestman yelled back "Take it!" Later, Chrestman is seen in Capitol security footage in a tunnel underneath the building, using his wooden club or ax handle to prevent a metal barrier from closing, which the FBI says would have secured certain areas of the Capitol if closed. He and others are charged with conspiracy, one of the more serious allegations faced by those who breached the Capitol. Chrestman's attorneys argued in a legal filing that he and other Proud Boys believed they were following Donald Trump's lead when they breached the Capitol. "The mob was given explicit permission and encouragement by the former President to do what they did," they argued. His attorneys also identified him as an "Army veteran" and a "union sheet metal worker." According to a sentencing memo filed by the defendant in court, Chrestman served in the U.S. Army from 1992 to 1996.
Case History
Chrestman pleaded Guilty to two charges: Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Threatening a Federal Officer. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 1/12/2024 to 55 months of Incarceration; 36 months of Supervised Release; $200 Special Assessment; restitution of $2,000. Chrestman 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.