Maryland Man Sentenced for Attacking Police With Flagpole During Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Riot

Maryland Man Sentenced for Attacking Police With Flagpole During Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Riot

A Fredrick County man was found guilty on Tuesday of attacking police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol disturbance.

Prosecutors say Adam Ryan Obest, 43, of Thurmont, attended the “Stop the Steal” event before traveling to the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace.

Obest was caught on video waving a giant American flag affixed to a metal flagpole at police officers after being instructed not to approach up a stairwell.

Minutes later, Obest clashed with police again, raising the flagpole above his head and quickly lowering it toward a line of cops before another officer attempted to remove it.

According to court filings, he also attempted to steal a Metropolitan Police Department officer’s baton and then tossed a smoke grenade at law police.

Maryland Man Sentenced for Attacking Police With Flagpole During Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Riot

Detectives identified Obest as a suspect in June 2023 after matching images from his social media account to those taken of him at the Million MAGA March in November 2020. The photographs revealed an American Flag tattoo on his left shoulder, which matched one seen in his booking photos from an unrelated arrest in 2018.

On June 13, 2023, the FBI detained Obest in Maryland. He was convicted on two felony charges, including civil disorder, and one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a police officer.

Obest was sentenced to 18 months in jail and 36 months supervised release.

Reference: Maryland man sentenced for assaulting police during Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection

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