Wisconsin man charged in connection to Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol

Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
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A Washington County man has been criminally charged for his involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Joseph Cattani, 40, of Colgate is accused of assaulting law enforcement inside the Capitol. He has been charged with civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, both felonies. Cattani also received several misdemeanor charges, including entering a restricted building.

Cattani was arrested Thursday in Wisconsin and charged in federal court in Washington, D.C. He made an initial appearance in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Joseph Cattani pictured inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Joseph Cattani pictured inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Prosecutors said much of Cattani's 18 minutes inside the Capitol were captured on video. An open-source video shows Cattani pulling an officer's face shield up and down as the officer's head twists and turns. Cattani then pushes his way into the Capitol Building through the Rotunda doors, prosecutors said.

Surveillance video shows Cattani inside other areas of the Capitol Building, including outside the Senate chamber and outside the Office of the Majority Whip. He exited the building shortly thereafter through a window.

Video shows Joseph Cattani grab the face mask of an officer inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Video shows Joseph Cattani grab the face mask of an officer inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Cattani agreed to be interviewed on Nov. 1 at a restaurant in Menomonee Falls. A criminal complaint states he admitted to entering the Capitol on Jan. 6 and identified himself as the man in the images.

During the interview, Cattani said the crowd became more "hyped up" after then-President Donald Trump stated that he would walk to the Capitol with everyone, the complaint states.

Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury last month for his alleged role in conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The indictment accuses Trump of directing his supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Joseph Cattani pictured inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Joseph Cattani pictured inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

More than 1,146 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Some have been sentenced to more than a dozen years behind bars. Trump has said he would pardon many of the rioters if he were to gain a second term in the Oval Office.

Drake Bentley can be reached at DBentley1@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin man charged in connection to Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol