Berkeley County man sentenced for assaulting officer in Jan 6. Capitol breach

WASHINGTON (WCBD) – A Berkeley County man who pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement in the January 6, 2021, breach at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to prison Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced 54-year-old Christopher George Rockey to 18 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release. In addition, Rockey was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

The Cross native traveled to Washington D.C. from South Carolina to attend former President Donald Trump’s speech on the Ellipse, the Department of Justice explained.

Court documents state Rockey entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing Door around 2:23 p.m. on Jan. 6. He continued through the Rotunda and House Chamber before encountering a line of police officers with a group of rioters, according to the DOJ.

The mob went through police, and Rockey eventually exited the building at 2:44 p.m. After leaving, Rockey joined another group of rioters on the Upper Terrace, which is the north side of the Capitol.

Law enforcement attempted to clear the Upper Terrace area around 4:35 p.m. Rockey walked toward the officers, ignored commands, and grabbed a riot shield from one officer.

Federal officials said two minutes later, he grabbed one officer’s baton before pulling another’s riot shield down.

Rockey was arrested by the FBI on Dec. 13, 2023, in South Carolina. He plead guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer on June 12, 2024.

Rockey’s case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. 

Since the Jan. 6 riots, more than 1,561 people have been charged for crimes related to the breach. Five people died as a result of the violent riots.

The siege, which occurred when Congress met to certify the 2020 presidential election results proclaiming Joe Biden winner, saw over 140 police officers assaulted.

In addition to the assaults, over $2.8 million in government property was stolen, damaged, or destroyed, federal officials estimate.

FBI agents are still searching for suspects who took part in the breach.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.