NC man charged in Jan. 6 Capitol attack, planned to attack again at inauguration, documents show

A North Carolina man is facing charges from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents.

David Joseph Gietzen is accused of assaulting a Capitol police officer and entering the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, according to documents from the FBI and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Gietzen was charged with eight total counts of:

• Civil disorder and aiding and abetting
• Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers
• Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon
• Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
• Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
• Engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds
• Act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings

Lisa Costner, Gietzen's public attorney, declined to comment, citing the pending case.

Multiple tipsters told FBI agents they recognized Gietzen as one of the people wanted from the Capitol attacks. Authorities said one tipster went to college with Gietzen.

Days before the Jan. 20, 2021, Inauguration of Joe Biden, the FBI received a report about text messages in which Gietzen and his brother indicated they wanted to meet others at the Capitol., the report states. The report said their plan was to force their way to the Capitol to force Congress to hold another election. Both Gietzen brothers were at the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

The FBI interviewed Gietzen on Jan. 19, 2021. He stated he and his brother were on the way to Washington, D.C. to attend the inauguration and he had no intentions of committing any acts of violence, according to documents.

Gietzen also told the FBI he and his brother attended the Jan. 6, 2021, protest in Washington, D.C. However, Gietzen said he and his brother never made it to the Capitol.

Investigators said Closed Caption Television footage showed Gietzen “thrusting his fist against U.S. Capitol police officers’ shields.”

Other footage shows Gietzen pushing an officer’s shield, according to the court documents.

The documents also state Gietzen thrusted a pole toward the officers.

“His pole appears to make contact with the crowd of officers,” the document states.