Glendora man pleads guilty to felony charge in Capitol riot

Glendora man pleads guilty to felony in connection with Jan. 6 insurrection at Capitol

A crowd pushes a metal barricade up against a group of police in riot gear

By Gregory YeeStaff Writer

Jan. 14, 2022 8:08 PM PT

A 21-year-old Glendora man pleaded guilty Friday to felony destruction of government property in connection with his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Hunter Ehmke was part of a large crowd that gathered around 2:15 p.m. that day outside the Rotunda door on the east side of the Capitol building, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia.

According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, an officer in riot gear who was trying to hold back the crowd saw Ehmke summoning others toward a window.

The officer shouted for backup and ordered the crowd to get back, according to the complaint.

The officer saw Ehmke punch the window and ran toward him, shouting for him to get away, the complaint said. He used a shield to hit Ehmke in the lower torso and upper left leg to push him down.

Ehmke fell after the officer pushed him with the shield a second time, the complaint said.

Officers detained Ehmke and got his driver’s license, but an aggressive crowd was forming around them, the complaint said. They tried calling for backup but weren’t successful.

An unidentified person in the crowd threatened the officers, saying, “You’re not leaving with him,” according to the complaint.

Outnumbered, the officers decided to let Ehmke go after they took pictures of him and the damaged window, the complaint said. They also kept his driver’s license and told him they would seek an arrest warrant.

According to prosecutors, Ehmke kicked three lower panes and punched two more, causing $2,821 in damage.

He was arrested Jan. 13, 2021, at his family’s home and is scheduled to be sentenced May 11, prosecutors said.