Gas Mask-Wearing Bethesda Man Faces Felony Charges For Jan. 6 Attack

BETHESDA, MD — A Bethesda man was arrested Saturday on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting a police officer, in connection with the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to federal officials.

Steven Patrick Cook, 24, was charged in a criminal complaint with two felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said Monday.

In addition to the felonies, Cook was charged with several misdemeanors, including entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds.

According to court documents, Cook was identified on multiple body-worn camera footage and open-source videos as among the crowd of rioters on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.

In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 people charged with felonies for assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Cook was arrested in Virginia on Saturday and made his initial appearance Monday in federal court in D.C.

At about 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, three people linked arms and marched into the police line on the West Plaza, breaking the line. Cook followed soon after and began pushing and hitting police officers. Cook grabbed an officer’s baton and punched another, according to federal prosecutors.

As Cook continued to assault police, the police line broke and officers retreated into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, prosecutors said.

Cook followed close behind, entering the tunnel at about 2:45 p.m. Cook then made his way deeper into the tunnel and then returned shortly after 3 p.m., according to prosecutors.

“When he returned, Cook took a gas mask from a nearby rioter, put it on, and ran back into the Tunnel, bull-rushing the police line and grabbing an officer's baton,” the U.S. Attorney Office said.

Cook left the area at about 3:05 p.m., but returned once more to participate in a coordinated push against the police with other rioters. Cook ultimately left the tunnel area around 4:10 p.m., according to court documents.

The case against Cook will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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