Central Florida man sentenced for charging police lines, stealing riot shield during Capitol riot
A Central Florida man was sentenced Wednesday on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 breach on the U.S. Capitol.
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According to the Department of Justice, 25-year-old Joshua Doolin traveled to Washington D.C. from Lakeland with a group of friends and family members to attend a rally at The Ellipse, south of the White House fence. Investigators say Doolin considered bring a semi-automatic rifle along with him but changed his mind at the last minute.
By 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, Doolin had stormed the Capitol from the Southwest with members of his group, crossing a restricted perimeter set by Capitol Police and the Secret Service.
Investigators say Doolin made his way to the front of the mob where he watched and filmed as his friends and other rioters attacked the police line and fought with officers.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach. @FBIWFO @FBITampa @USAO_MDFL @CapitolPolice @DCPoliceDept https://t.co/YErEFcm3j0
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) August 16, 2023
By 3:45 p.m., investigators say Doolin had stolen a Capitol Police riot shield that he would carry for the rest of the day and ultimately kept as a souvenir. He filmed video of himself on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol proclaiming, “I got a riot shield!”
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Later, Doolin was seen on video using the shield to press forward with a mob of people that was forcing its way through a narrow entranceway known as “The Tunnel” that connects the inaugural stage to the Capitol building itself.
Doolin was seen leaving the tunnel just before 5 p.m., still carrying the riot shield with an American flag draped over it.
FBI agents arrested Doolin in Lakeland on June 30. He was found guilty on March 15, 2023 on a felony charge of civil disorder and misdemeanor charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and theft of government property.
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Doolin was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release.
Three of the defendants named in Doolin’s criminal complaint: Jonathan Pollock, Olivia Pollock, and Joseph Hutchinson III remain wanted by the FBI.
Read the full criminal complaint below:
United States of America vs Joshua Doolin Complaint by Charles Frazier on Scribd
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