The defendant sprayed the fire extinguisher at the officers,
Sneaked into the Capitol office, opened a box, went through the papers
Memphis, TN – A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to assaulting law enforcement officers with a
dangerous weapon – a fire extinguisher – during the break-in of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the US Congress convened at
ascertain and count electoral votes in relation to the 2020 presidential elections.
Nicholas James Brockhoff, 21, of Covington, Kentucky, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to
assaulting, resisting or obstructing officers with a dangerous weapon.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2021, Brockhoff trespassed on Capitol grounds,
joining a crowd on the west side of the Capitol. At about 2:32 p.m., he threw an object from
his position on the West Terrace to law enforcement officers. During the confrontation with
law enforcement officers, he also discharged the contents of the fire extinguishers in multiple
cases and from at least two different countries. Every time he did this, law enforcement officers
dispersed, interfering with their ability to control the crowd.
Furthermore, during the afternoon, while very close to the Lower West Terrace tunnel, Brockhoff
took a helmet belonging to a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer. He wore
helmet as a trophy all afternoon, including when he walked into a Senate briefing
the Capitol room through a broken window. Brockhoff moved into an aisle and then helped hit one
the door leading to the entrance to another conference room. From inside the conference hall, while
Still wearing his MPD helmet, Brockhoff tore open a box and went through the papers in the office. it
eventually fled the Capitol through a broken window.
Brockhoff was arrested on May 27, 2021, in Counce, Tennessee. He will be sentenced on March 24.
2023. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and possible financial penalties. or
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. sentence
Guidelines and other legal factors.
This case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and
Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Homeland Security of the Department of Justice. Valuable help
was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the U.S
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Office, which identified Brockhoff as
#255 in photo search FBI Louisville and its Covington Office,
Kentucky Resident Agency and FBI Memphis Office. Valuable assistance was provided by
FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Metropolitan Police Department,
U.S. Capitol and Hardin County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Department.
In the 21 months since January 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50
states for crimes related to the breach of the US Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged
by attacking or obstructing law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with a tip can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @WDTNNnews on Twitter for office news and updates.
