WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — A Williamsburg man has been arrested after authorities say he was caught on video attacking officers with a stick during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Jonathan Gennaro Mellis, 34, was arrested without incident on Tuesday at his Williamsburg home by the FBI, spokesperson Christina Pullen confirmed.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District in Washington, Mellis is charged with forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere officers and aiding and abetting, civil disorder, restricted building or grounds, violent entry or disorderly conduct, obstruct, or impede passage, and engage in physical violence on Capitol ground, and obstruction of justice/Congress.
The complaint filed by the FBI includes photos of Mellis at the riot, including various photos on Mellis’ public Facebook page that show him in glasses and a straw-colored Cowboy-type hat.
Captions included “Storming the Castle. The world heard US!!! Finally not ignored.”; “We proudly take responsibility for storming the castle.”
Body camera footage from the incident shows Mellis repeatedly striking and making stabbing movements toward officers, attempting to strike the officers’ necks between their helmets and body armor, authorities said.
Mellis appeared in federal court in eastern Virginia Friday.
During the hearing, he waived his preliminary and detention hearings. The court also found probable cause to move the case forward after he waived his preliminary hearing.
He asked to have an attorney appointed by the district he is charged in, which is federal court in Washington D.C.
Mellis is one of several people from Hampton Roads arrested after the riot. Others included a man in a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt and a Virginia Beach charter boat captain.
You can find WAVY’s extensive coverage of the insurrection on our Chaos at the Capitol page.
