Cleona man accused of assaulting police while forcing his way into U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6

Matthew Toth, Lebanon Daily News
·2 min read
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Two years after the Jan. 6 riots, a Cleona man is facing felony charges for his role in allegedly breaching the U.S. Capitol and assaulting police.

Cameron Edward Hess, 26, is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. Both charges are considered felonies.

Hess is also accused of several misdemeanors, including knowingly entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct.

Cameron Hess, 26, Cleona, is accused of assaulting and obstructing officers during the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said Hess tried to gain access to the Capitol building while police tried to direct rioters back out of the rotunda door.
Cameron Hess, 26, Cleona, is accused of assaulting and obstructing officers during the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said Hess tried to gain access to the Capitol building while police tried to direct rioters back out of the rotunda door.

Agents were able to identify Hess via US Capitol CCTV video footage entering the US Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021 through the east rotunda doors, according to court documents.

A short time later, riot police push Hess out of the Capitol building. Hess again pushes into the Capitol building at around 3:24 p.m. while law enforcement was trying to direct the rioters out of the rotunda door.

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Hess had returned as police were attempting to close the rotunda doors and physically engaged with a municipal officer, the release said. Photos show Hess attempted to hold the door open as the officer working to close the door ordered Hess to stop. Officials said law enforcement successfully pushed Hess out of the rotunda doors.

Cameron Hess, 26, Cleona, is accused of assaulting and obstructing officers during the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said Hess tried to gain access to the Capitol building while police tried to direct rioters back out of the rotunda door.
Cameron Hess, 26, Cleona, is accused of assaulting and obstructing officers during the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said Hess tried to gain access to the Capitol building while police tried to direct rioters back out of the rotunda door.

According to the affidavit, two witnesses submitted tips to the FBI and identified Hess. Investigators also linked photos for Hess's social media account to video and photos of him entering the building, including photos of Hess covering his face as he was hit by pepper spray bullets.

United States Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey filed an arrest warrant for Hess on Feb. 27. FBI agents arrested Hess on Thursday, and he was released from custody after being arraigned and waiving his rights to a hearing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

According to the conditions ordered by Harvey on Tuesday, Hess is not allowed to travel to the District of Columbia except for purposes related to his case. He is also not allowed to travel outside the continental United States and is prohibited to drink excessively.

Cameron Hess, 26, Cleona, is accused of assaulting and obstructing officers during the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said Hess tried to gain access to the Capitol building while police tried to direct rioters back out of the rotunda door.
Cameron Hess, 26, Cleona, is accused of assaulting and obstructing officers during the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said Hess tried to gain access to the Capitol building while police tried to direct rioters back out of the rotunda door.

In the 25 months since Jan. 6, officials said more than 985 individuals have been arrested nationally for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. More than 319 of those individuals are charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, officials said in a release.

Hess's preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on March 23.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Cleona man charged with assaulting officer during Capitol Riots Jan. 6