Jan. 6 rioter tackled in court after trying to fight federal agents at hearing

Vitali GossJankowski had to be restrained by U.S. Marshals and FBI staff after exploding at hearing

By Gabriella Ferrigine

Published October 30, 2023 3:29PM (EDT)

Protesters fueled by President Donald Trump's continued claims of election fraud march in an attempt to overturn the results before Congress finalizes them in a joint session of the 117th Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Protesters fueled by President Donald Trump's continued claims of election fraud march in an attempt to overturn the results before Congress finalizes them in a joint session of the 117th Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A fight erupted during a hearing on Monday for a defendant convicted on a number of charges related to the deadly Capitol insurrection on Jan 6, 2021, including assaulting police. Moments after Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Vitali GossJankowski be sentenced to jail time, GossJankowski, "who appears to stand at least 6 feet, 3 inches tall and is exceptionally muscular," began to brawl with federal agents who were attempting to detain him. GossJankowski, who has a hearing disability, had to be restrained by four U.S. Marshals and FBI staff, per CBS News.

GossJankowski, who was convicted of multiple offenses in connection with the Jan. 6 riot earlier this year, made doxxing threats toward federal agents on social media, with Friedman ruling that the posts were "extremely troubling and dangerous," adding that it's rarely "people in public life themselves" who endanger judges and agents, but rather "their followers." Friedman also acknowledged that threatening content is not protected by the First Amendment. GossJankowski was eventually removed from the court and taken to the D.C. jail.