Lorain Man Charged In U.S. Capitol Riot

LORAIN, OH — A Lorain man was charged in the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Clifford Mackrell, 20, was arrested Wednesday morning by the FBI and faces charges of forcibly resisting law enforcement, knowingly entering a restricted building, obstruction of law enforcement and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

He was scheduled to make his first appearance in court via teleconference with Magistrate Judge William Baughman at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Washington. It does not appear that Mackrell has a lawyer yet.

Mackrell is accused of taking part in the riot, grabbing at a police officer's gas mask and helping break through a police barricade to get into the Capitol, according to a criminal complaint. He pushed police and punched an officer multiple times while storming the building, according to the complaint.

A person filming the riots followed Mackrell after police hit him and he retreated, the complaint said. Mackrell said on the video that his name was "Cliff," that he was from Ohio and that he was "going back in," the complaint said.

The FBI identified Mackrell based on a tip from an image pulled from the video, the criminal complaint said.

The FBI searched Mackrell's Facebook account and messages and found conversations between him and another person in which he said he was in Washington and took part in the riot, the criminal complaint said.