Gun Barrel City man arrested for alleged actions during Jan. 6 Capitol breach

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A Gun Barrel City man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for his alleged actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Department of Justice say his actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

William Patrick Sarsfield III, 46, of Gun Barrel City, has been charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with civil disorder, a felony, and related misdemeanor offenses. He was arrested on Feb. 14 in Henderson County.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Sarsfield was among rioters who repeatedly engaged in violence against law enforcement officers guarding the Capitol. Sarsfield participated in the confrontation with law enforcement officers in the Lower West Terrace and tunnel areas of the Capitol.

The documents indicate that he entered the tunnel on the Lower West Terrace at approximately 3:12 p.m., making his way into the mob of rioters who were coordinating pushes against police officers while yelling “HEAVE HO!” and “PUSH!” Sarsfield entered the tunnel three separate times to assist in the collective pushes against police officers as the rioters tried to gain access to the Capitol building. While Sarsfield joined in collective pushes, one police officer screamed in pain as the weight of the rioters’ pushes pinned him between a shield and a door. Sarsfield also assisted in passing stolen police shields into the tunnel, the documents note.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 25 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 985 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, approximately 319 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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