A Littleton man who wrestled and kicked a police officer before entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was found guilty of two felony charges Wednesday.
Patrick Montgomery, a 51-year-old hunting guide from Littleton, was convicted of obstructing an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Montgomery will be sentenced on July 2, officials said.
On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Montgomery and two Utah men met at the Yours Truly hotel in Washington, D.C., and walked to an area near the Washington Monument for the “Stop the Steal” rally, according to the news release. Once the rally ended, the three men walked to the west front of the U.S. Capitol and crossed over the restricted perimeter.
Just after 2 p.m., Montgomery wrestled a police officer to the ground outside the Capitol building while attempting to take the officer’s baton and kicked the officer in the chest, the news release stated.
By 2:45 p.m., the group of three had made their way into the building through an open emergency exit door, climbed the stairs to the third floor and were entering the Senate Gallery.
One of the Utah men began repeatedly shouting “treason” and stole a a black bag containing escape hoods — used to avoid breathing in smoke or contaminated air — and other protective equipment, the news release stated.
The men then left the gallery and went to the second floor near the Senate Floor, where they confronted a U.S. Capitol Police officer, according to the news release.
“You gotta (sic) stop doing your job sometime and start being American,” Montgomery yelled at the officer, according to the news release. “You gotta quit doing your job and be an American.”
The men exited the Capitol at 2:53 p.m.
Three people submitted tips to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Jan. 7, 2021, identifying Montgomery, according to his arrest affidavit. The FBI arrested Patrick Montgomery on Jan. 17, 2021, in Colorado.
Montgomery was allowed to remain free while the case was pending as long as he followed conditions set by a judge, including that he did not possess any guns — but when he continued to go hunting, he was placed under house arrest with GPS monitoring.
The two Utah men, Brady Knowlton, 43, of St. George and Gary Wilson, 55, of Salt Lake City, also were found guilty Wednesday.
In the 38 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to the Department of Justice. The investigation remains ongoing.
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