Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A Maryland man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. 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.

Steven Patrick Cook, 25, of Bethesda, Maryland, was sentenced to 28 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden.

According to court documents, Cook violently participated in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. At the Capitol, Cook joined the violent mob as they invaded the Capitol and delayed the certification of the electoral college vote. Once Cook was on the U.S Capitol grounds, he walked on the West Plaza to the Lower West Terrace and eventually entered the Lower West Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement.

While on the West Plaza and moments after rioters broke the police line, Cook pushed and hit multiple police officers. At approximately 2:28 p.m., Cook pushed a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer as the officer was trying to reestablish the police line. Immediately after, Cook grabbed the officer’s police baton and punched an unidentified police officer.

Read more: Department of Justice