Steven Patrick Cook, 24, of Bethesda, Maryland, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with two felonies of assaulting, resisting or obstructing certain officers and obstructing law enforcement during a civil disturbance. 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, September 16, 2023, and made his first appearance today in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2021, Cook was identified through multiple camera footage and open source videos as being among the crowd of rioters on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol. At 2:28 p.m., three individuals linked arms and walked toward the police line at West Plaza, breaking the line. Cook followed shortly after and began pushing and hitting the police officers. Cook grabbed one officer’s baton and punched another.
As Cook continued his attack on police, the line was cut off and the officers retreated to the Lower West Terrace tunnel. Cook followed 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, crossing the police line and grabbing the officer’s baton.
Cook eventually left the area around 3:05 p.m., only to return to participate in a coordinated crackdown on police with other rioters. Cook eventually left the tunnel area at 4:08 p.m
This case is being investigated by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. 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 January 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals in nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the breach at the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or obstructing law enforcement, a felony. The investigation is still 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 court.