BY: JOHN HULT
WASHINGTON (South Dakota Searchlight) – A 37-year-old Rapid City man has been indicted for two felonies and five misdemeanor offenses for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in the U.S. Capitol.
William George Knight is charged in the District of Columbia with obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, both of which are felony crimes.
Knight also faces misdemeanor charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Knight was arrested in his Rapid City home on Sunday.
Court documents filed in the case say Knight was among a group of “Stop the Steal” protesters to have pursued U.S. Park Police officers who’d taken another protester into custody and taken them to a glass screening facility.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota, Knight “aggressively approached the glass wall four times over approximately seven minutes, each time pushing himself off the wall and gesturing toward police.”
“Knight then put his middle fingers up to the glass and pointed menacingly at the police inside the Screening Center,” the news release said.
Knight went on to breach the Capitol building, the news release said, pulled down a makeshift bike rack barrier put up by police and was among the protesters to push a metal sign toward officers. He also allegedly shoved a Metropolitan Police Department officer and helped breach a police line at Lower West Plaza later in the afternoon.
Knight’s initial appearance was set for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Rapid City.
More than 1,400 people have been indicted for their roles in the Jan. 6 incident since the event occurred, the news release said.
Darrell Goins, 42, of Newell, was indicted about two weeks ago. His six felony offenses include civil disorder; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; and entering and remaining, disorderly or disruptive conduct; and an act of physical violence in a restricted building or grounds using a dangerous weapon.
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