Bethesda Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Per the United States Department of Justice:  A Maryland man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 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.

Steven Patrick Cook, 24, of Bethesda, Maryland, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with two felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. In addition to the felonies, Cook is charged with several misdemeanors, including entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds. Cook was arrested in Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, and made his initial appearance today in the District of Columbia.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Cook was identified via multiple body-worn camera footage and open-source videos as among the crowd of rioters on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol. At 2:28 p.m., three individuals linked arms and marched into the police line on the West Plaza, breaking the line. Cook followed soon after and began pushing and hitting police officers. Cook grabbed an officer’s baton and punched another.

As Cook continued his assault on the police, the line broke and officers retreated into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. Cook followed close behind, entering the Tunnel at approximately 2:43 p.m. Cook quickly made his way deeper into the Tunnel, left, and returned at 3:02 p.m. When he returned, Cook took a gas mask from a nearby rioter, put it on, and ran back into the Tunnel, bull-rushing the police line and grabbing an officer’s baton.

Cook eventually left the area at about 3:05 p.m., only to return once more to participate in a coordinated push against the police with other rioters. Cook ultimately left the Tunnel area at 4:08 p.m.

This 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 District of Maryland.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.