Pittsburgh-area man sentenced for assaulting law enforcement officers during Jan. 6 attack
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Burgettstown man who pleaded guilty to attacking police officers with pepper spray and several objects was sentenced to prison time on Friday.
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said Joshua Lee Atwood was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss. He was also ordered to pay 2,000 in restitution. The FBI arrested Atwood in Pennsylvania on April 17.
The 31-year-old pleaded guilty in September to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon.
Officials said, citing court documents, that Atwood traveled from Burgettstown to Washington, D.C., to attend Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally on Jan. 6, 2021. He climbed through a broken window during the attack on the U.S. Capitol before joining a mob gathered at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, authorities said.
Atwood started throwing objects, including a plastic bottle and a metal pole, at police officers before picking up a wooden pole to strike officers. He later sprayed officers with pepper spray and threw more objects at police, authorities said.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Atwood then used a police riot shield to hit officers, swearing at them and asking, "Why would you betray your country?"
Since the Jan. 6 riots, more than 1,500 people have been charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol. The investigation continues, authorities said.
