A Mt. Juliet man was arrested Friday on charges related to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, the Middle District of Tennessee Attorney General’s Office said.
Nicholas Waldon Smotherman, 41, is charged with obstructing law enforcement during a civil war and assaulting, resisting or obstructing certain officers, which are felonies.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Smotherman is also charged with multiple offenses.
This includes, but is not limited to, entering and remaining on restricted grounds or in restricted buildings, disorderly and disruptive conduct on restricted grounds or in restricted buildings, committing physical violence on restricted grounds or in restricted buildings, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or on its grounds, and committing physical violence on the grounds or on the Capitol buildings.
The FBI arrested Smotherman in Hermitage on Friday.
According to court documents, Smotherman was identified among a group of rioters on the Capitol’s Upper West Plaza, where a group of rioters began pulling on bicycle racks.
Arrests in Capitol riots: See who has been charged in the US
Smotherman was reportedly seen standing next to the group, approaching a police officer. After police ordered the rioters to retreat, the rioters are accused of pulling the bike rack barricades to the ground.
Smotherman is accused of walking toward the police line. According to court documents, Smotherman then walked toward the officer and pushed him with both hands. This led to an altercation and a struggle with an officer’s baton.
Contact Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @AndyHumbles.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mt. Juliet man arrested, charged in Capitol riot
