Alabama man sentenced for assaulting officers during U.S. Capitol breach

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - An Alabama man was sentenced Thursday for his actions during a breach of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021.

Kaleb Dillard, 28, of Mountain Brook, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $36,238.55 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb. Dillard pleaded guilty on July 18, 2023, in the District of Columbia, to assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers.

He was arrested on Aug. 23, 2022, in Columbiana, Alabama.

According to court documents, Dillard illegally entered the Capitol Building through the East Rotunda doors at approximately 2:26 p.m. Dillard went to the front of the crowd at the Rotunda Door, where he used a metal tool to smash a window of the doors.

Once inside, he made physical contact with two officers from the U.S. Capitol Police who were trying to close the Rotunda door.

Ala. man arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the... — Ala. man arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol.((Dept. of Justice/Court records))

Dillard then grabbed the officer’s protective vest from behind and threw the officer backward onto the marble floor.

Dillard then helped more rioters enter the Capitol through the Rotunda door before approaching a second U.S. Capitol Police Officer who was trying to secure the door from the rioters. Dillard repeatedly shoved the second officer away from the doors so more rioters could enter. Unable to move the officer away from the door, Dillard continued to harass him, sticking his fingers in the officer’s face and at one point screaming, “That’s a poor excuse! ‘I got a job to do.’ Give me a f***ing break!”

At around 2:30 p.m., Dillard walked through the Capitol building into the Rotunda, Statuary Hall, and the Statuary Hall Connector. He remained in the Capitol until approximately 2:51 p.m.

This 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Birmingham Field Offices, which identified Dillard as #166 on its seeking information photos. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony.

The U.S. Capitol breach investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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