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Connecticut man charged with assaulting law enforcement in US Capitol attack

A pro-Trump mob breaks into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee
/
Getty Images
A pro-Trump mob breaks into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.

A Connecticut man was arrested Wednesday and charged with several federal crimes, including assaulting a law enforcement officer, for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Benjamin Cohen, 21, of Westport, also faces a felony count of civil disorder and several misdemeanor offenses, including 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, and engaging in an act of physical violence on Capitol grounds or buildings.

He appeared Wednesday in federal court in Connecticut.

A person answering the phone at Cohen’s home in Westport declined to comment before hanging up.

According to the Justice Department, Cohen was identified among the crowd of rioters who breached a police line at the Capitol. He was caught on camera making physical contact with the group of officers by pushing and shoving them with his hands as the crowd surges forward, prosecutors said.

Cohen is later seen rushing toward the officers again, shoving and striking officers with his hands and standing in the crowd of rioters, where he can be heard shouting, “Our House!”

Later, Cohen is seen entering a tunnel at the Capitol and joining other rioters in what prosecutors describe as a concerted “heave-ho” effort against the police line, according to court documents.

He also was photographed and taped inside an office inside the Capitol and leaving that office through a broken window, prosecutors said.

Cohen is among more than 1,100 people charged in the riot, including more than 350 who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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