Florida Man Sentenced to 45 Months for Assaulting Officers During Capitol Breach

Bryan Roger Bishop of Florida was sentenced to 45 months in prison for assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach.Photo byAndy FeliciottionUnsplash

A Florida man was sentenced Tuesday to 45 months in federal prison for assaulting law enforcement officers during the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Bryan Roger Bishop, 52, of Marathon, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly after pleading guilty to assaulting officers during the attack.

In addition to his prison term, Bishop was ordered to serve 36 months of supervised release and pay $2,000 in restitution, court documents show.

The assault occurred during a joint session of Congress convened to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Bishop was part of a crowd that breached barriers on the Capitol’s west side.

At approximately 2:02 p.m., Bishop sprayed a chemical irritant at a line of officers, striking one Metropolitan Police Department officer directly in the face. He then sprayed another officer by aiming the canister under the officer's face shield, according to the DOJ.

After the assault, Bishop entered the Capitol at approximately 2:39 p.m. and walked through areas including the Rotunda and Statuary Hall. He exited 17 minutes later, according to court documents.

Bishop was arrested by FBI agents in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the DOJ National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

The FBI’s Miami, San Antonio, and Washington Field Offices led the investigation, the DOJ reported.

Since January 6, more than 1,488 individuals from nearly all 50 states have been charged in connection with the Capitol breach. Nearly 550 have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing, according to the DOJ.