MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — A Cumberland County man has pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers at the U.S. Capitol building during the Jan. 6 riot, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Barton Wade Shively, 55, of Mechanicsburg, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers, the Dept. of Justice said in a press release.
Shively was part of a crowd that disrupted a joint session of Congress that was in the process of certifying the electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.
He admitted to attending a rally at the Ellipse and then walking to the U.S. Capitol, where he unlawfully entered the grounds, the department said.
Shively got past broken-down police barriers and went up the steps of the Capitol. While there, Shively assaulted one officer by striking the officer’s hand, and head and shoulder areas. He also assaulted another officer, grabbing the officer’s jacket and yelling at the officer.
Shively was arrested on Jan. 19, 2021, in Harrisburg.
He is to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2023.
Shively faces a statutory maximum of eight years in prison on each of the two felony charges, as well as potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
