North Texas man found guilty of six charges for taking part in Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot
A Garland man has been found guilty of assaulting officers on Jan. 6, 2021, during the riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents.
Robert Wayne Dennis, 61, of Garland was found guilty Friday of six of the eight charges he faced in relation to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including two counts of assaulting officers and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Dennis was found not guilty on an additional count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, as well as not guilty on one of two counts of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
The FBI in court documents filed in October 2021 said Capitol Police body-camera footage showed Dennis assaulting law enforcement officers who were attempting to control the crowd at or near the stairs leading to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol Building.
A news release about Dennis’ indictment on the charges said he was one of numerous people who began charging and striking a line of law enforcement officers who were acting as a barrier against the crowd to protect the Capitol Building. In one instance, the court documents said, Dennis grabbed a baton an officer was using to try to push him back away from the police line, taking it away and using it to assault another officer.
At one point, Dennis “struggles violently” with a police officer and “takes him to the ground” before other officers stepped in and manage to push him back, according to court documents. He then approached the line again and was pushed to the ground. At one point he approached and punched an officer.
Court documents said Dennis identified himself to law enforcement by his name, address and Social Security number at one point before consenting to an officer retrieving his ID from his wallet.
Police told Dennis they would be using his confirmed ID to apply for an arrest warrant at a later time, confirming he understood they intended to apply for the warrant, according to court documents. They then released him to seek medical treatment “that officers were unable to provide due to the ongoing riot” for injuries sustained during his altercations.
Dennis was released from custody to await sentencing on April 13.
In total, Dennis was found guilty of:
- 1 count of civil disorder
- 2 counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and/or employees
- 1 count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds
- 2 count of engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds