Fight Erupts in D.C. District Court After January 6 Defendant Resists Arrest at Hearing

A fight broke out in court when a January 6 Capitol riot defendant had to be subdued by federal agents when he resisted arrest while being ordered to jail.

The D.C. District Court hearing on Monday focused on the case of Vitali GossJankowski, a 34-year-old former student at Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing. GossJankowski was convicted in March for obstructing a joint session of Congress, civil disorder, and assaulting a police officer, but as he awaits sentencing, prosecutors were asking Judge Paul Friedman for GossJankowski’s immediate detainment over several threatening text messages and Instagram posts where he allegedly doxxed FBI employees.

CBS’ Scott MacFarlane tracked the hearing, threading several of the most significant moments on X — formerly known as Twitter:

Friedman wound up ordering GossJankowski to jail, but an altercation ensued when GossJankowski refused to comply with his arresting officers. MacFarlane described GossJankowski as “exceptionally muscular” in his report on the tussle, adding that agents were called in to help U.S. marshalls and FBI staff get GossJankowski under control.

The ruling from Friedman determined that GossJankowski’s posts were “extremely troubling and dangerous,” and that his doxxing is not protected by the First Amendment.