Kentucky man sentenced for role in U.S. Capitol riot
Published 11:29 am Thursday, February 1, 2024
A Kentucky man has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison following by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges stemming from his role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Clayton Ray Mullins, 54, of Magnolia, was sentenced at U.S. District Court in Washington for assaulting law enforcement during the Capitol breach, according to the U.S Justice Department. They say his actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
In addition, Mullins was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol, $30,165 in restitution to a Metropolitan Police Department Officer for medical expenses, and $49,764 in fines. Mullins pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers on Sept. 6, 2023.
According to court documents, on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Mullins attended the “Stop the Steal” rally that was being held at the Ellipse and afterward marched toward the U.S. Capitol building with others. Mullins was actively involved with others in pushing against a barricade and the officers in an attempt advance closer to the Capitol.
After the breach, court documents say Mullins was positioned on the Capitol steps where he leaned over a handrail and made multiple attempts to grab the leg of a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer, who had been knocked to the ground. Eventually, Mullins succeeded, secured his grip on the officer’s leg, and violently pulled on it for at least 20 seconds. Ultimately, the officer was dragged down the Capitol steps, where he was further attacked by other rioters. The officer sustained injuries.
After this attack, Mullins turned his attention to another MPD officer who had just been assaulted and dragged down the Capitol steps. When the officer attempted to climb back up the steps to rejoin the other officers in a defensive line, Mullins pushed the officer back down the steps and into the crowd of rioters.
The FBI arrested Mullins on Feb. 23, 2021, in Mayfield, Kentucky.
Over 1,265 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.