Fort Worth man accused of assaulting officers with police baton during US Capitol riot
A Fort Worth man accused of assaulting officers with a police baton and a tabletop during the Jan. 6 riot in Washington, D.C., was arrested Tuesday morning at his home.
Thomas John Ballard, 35, was taken into custody without incident and faces several federal charges including assault, disorderly conduct in a restricted building and civil disorder.
FBI agents received a tip about Ballard in May, and then tracked him down through social media, according to court documents.
Based on officers’ body-camera videos, FBI agents said Ballard is accused of assaulting officers with the baton. Another public video showed Ballard throwing a tabletop at police officers who were defending the Lower West Terrace archway at the Capitol.
A federal criminal complaint charges Ballard with assaulting officers, entering a restricted building with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct in a restricted building with a deadly weapon, engaging in violence in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, physical violence on Capitol grounds, and demonstrating, parading or picketing in a Capitol building.
Ballard is the owner of a motorcycle tire replacement business in Fort Worth.
The criminal complaint written by an FBI Special Agent provided these details on the assaults and arrest:
Based on public videos, Beachum observed Ballard on the afternoon of Jan. 6 wearing an “Infowars” baseball cap at the Lower West Terrace during the Capitol riot.
On several occasions, Ballard can be seen in the front of the rioters confronting U.S. Capitol police or Metropolitan police. In one video, Ballard is seen holding a black police baton as he confronts officers while other rioters attack police.
At about 4:47 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, on another public video, Ballard throws a tabletop at police officers defending the Lower West Terrace archway.
At 4:50 p.m., another public video showed Ballard used the baton to assault police officers. At about the same time, FBI agents also viewed body-camera videos from officers showing Ballard assaulting them with the baton.
After the riot, authorities began identifying hundreds of men and women who had entered the U.S. Capitol building and confronted law enforcement.
More than 570 people have been arrested in connection with the insurrection since Jan. 6, including more than 170 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers at the Capitol, according to a news release from the U.S. Justice Department.
The riot disrupted a joint session of Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
A witness tipped off the FBI in May about Ballard, identifying him in a motorcycle-based YouTube channel called, “CliffCares.”
The FBI conducted a Google search of “CliffCares” and “motorcycles,” and found an Instagram account, a YouTube channel and a Facebook business page, “Cliff’s Mobile Motorcycle Tires.”
In one Facebook post, an Arlington motorcycle officer thanked “Cliff” for a tire change.
In June, FBI agents interviewed two Arlington police officer who had used “Cliff’s” repair services.
Federal agents identified the owner of Cliff’s Mobile Motorcycle Tires as Thomas “Cliff” Ballard who lived in Fort Worth.
Before the arrest, FBI agents spoke to a postal carrier assigned to the address authorities had obtained on Ballard and the carrier informed them that the resident living there was Thomas Ballard.
Ballard made his initial court appearance in the Northern District of Texas on Tuesday afternoon. He remained in custody and could not be reached for comment. Court records don’t list an attorney for Ballard.
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 4:12 PM.
