Santa Clara man arrested, charged in January 6 Capitol riot
SANTA CLARA – A South Bay man was arrested this week and faces multiple charges for his alleged role in participating in the violent attack at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, DC, 59-year-old Patrick Allen Bournes of Santa Clara was arrested on Sunday in San Jose.
Bournes has been charged with felony obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. He also faces several misdemeanor charges including entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds.
Prosecutors allege Bournes was part of the mob who attacked officers on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol building known as "the tunnel."
"For over two and a half hours, law enforcement defended the tunnel against rioters who pushed against them, struck them, stole their riot shields, sprayed them with chemical irritants, and otherwise fought against them to gain access to the U.S. Capitol," prosecutors said.
According to court documents, Bournes entered the tunnel around 3 p.m. local time and moved towards the front of the police line. When he was pushed back from the police line, Bournes allegedly assisted others in handling a police shield through the crowd and out of the tunnel.
As others left, prosecutors said Bournes continued to stay in the tunnel. He then joined others in rocking back and forth against the police line.
The crowd then established a wall of police shields, which were used to press against officers, prosecutors said. Bournes left the tunnel several minutes later.
A relative of Bournes told authorities that he had traveled from California to attend then-President Donald Trump's rally, which preceded the attack on the Capitol. During the visit, Bournes stayed at a relative's home in Virginia.
According to prosecutors, more than 950 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, which took place when Congress certified Joe Biden's victory over Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election. Among those arrested, more than 284 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Several other Bay Area residents have been charged in connection with January 6, including Evan Neumann of Mill Valley, who fled the country following the attack. Neumann has since been granted asylum in Belarus and is on the FBI's Most Wanted list.