Tennessee Man Assaulted Cops and Surfed over Crowd during Jan 6 Capitol Riot; Pleaded Guilty in Court

Michael Tyler Roberts, a pipefitter and mechanical supervisor from Tennessee, has pleaded guilty to his assault on police officers that took place inside the Lower West Terrace tunnel of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The Justice Department announced the plea agreement on Monday.

Amidst the chaos on January 6, a particularly harrowing incident took place within a tunnel. In a display of immense bravery, officers stood shoulder to shoulder and back to back, forming a human barricade to prevent entry.

They faced a barrage of objects hurled by the crowd, were attacked with weapons, subjected to irritants, and repeatedly struck by rioters who would climb and crowd-surf to gain entry into the tunnel.

Roberts, 34, was among the individuals involved in the events that took place on Jan. 6. A man allegedly engaged in a physical altercation with law enforcement officers while attempting to navigate through a crowd by body-surfing. He reportedly grabbed at their hands and arms as they tried to protect themselves and others.

Roberts faced a grand jury indictment in November 2023. In addition to the assault charge, he was accused of several other counts related to his actions within the U.S. Capitol. These included engaging in physical violence, disorderly conduct, intending to impede government business, and civil disorder interfering with law enforcement officers.

By admitting guilt to the assault charge, all other charges were dismissed.

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In a subsequent development on January 10, 2021, prosecutors revealed that Roberts had exchanged text messages with Ronald Colton McAbee, a former Tennessee sheriff’s deputy and acquaintance. McAbee, who infamously wore brass knuckle gloves during the events at the Capitol on January 6, reportedly engaged in violent altercations with law enforcement officers, as previously reported by Law&Crime.

McAbee was found guilty by a jury in October 2023 and later received a prison sentence of 70 months, which is equivalent to just under six years.

Prosecutors revealed that McAbee became aware of Roberts’ interview on January 10, 2021, and promptly reached out to him via text message.

Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6th by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama. Roberts could potentially face a significant prison sentence of up to eight years.

As per his plea agreement, he had no previous criminal record before January 6th.

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