Fort Smith, ARK – An Arkansas man was arrested on January 16, 2025, for his alleged involvement in the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. James Edward Porter, 59, of Hot Springs, was taken into custody by the FBI in Benton, Arkansas. He now faces federal charges related to assaulting law enforcement officers during the attack on the Capitol.
Porter was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. His charges were unsealed shortly before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Porter was part of the mob that gathered at the Ellipse for the rally and later made his way to the west side of the Capitol building. Porter allegedly positioned himself at the front of the crowd, where a violent confrontation with law enforcement officers unfolded as they tried to protect the Inauguration stage.
During the clash, Porter is accused of pushing against an officer and grabbing his baton. The struggle continued until the officer managed to break free from Porter’s grip. Porter allegedly then confronted another officer, pushing him before a fellow rioter deployed an orange chemical irritant, which prompted Porter to retreat into the crowd.
Porter’s involvement was investigated by the FBI, which interviewed him in July 2024. In his statement to authorities, Porter claimed he had grabbed the officer’s baton to prevent the officer from hitting another person in the crowd. Porter also told the FBI that after releasing the baton, he took a fighting stance and warned the officer, “If you hit me, I’m gonna… gonna hit you.”
Porter further stated that he had come to the Capitol because “it was what my president told me to do” and that he was there to “have our voices heard about the election being stolen.” These comments reflect the rhetoric promoted by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, which led to the storming of the Capitol as lawmakers convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
Porter’s case is now being handled by U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michel Harvey for the initial court proceedings. The investigation is being led by the FBI’s Little Rock and Washington Field Offices.
As the DOJ continues to pursue accountability for those involved in the January 6 Capitol attack, Porter’s arrest adds to the growing number of individuals facing criminal charges for their role in the violent events that sought to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election.