North Kingstown man pleads guilty to felony charge for acts in Capitol attack
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLNE) — A North Kingstown man has pleaded guilty for his actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves.
On Friday, Graves said 47-year-old Bernard Sirr pleaded guilty to one count of interference with officers during a civil disorder.
According to court documents, Sirr was one of the rioters who illegally entered the Capitol grounds and confronted law enforcement in the tunnel area of the Lower West Terrace.
Video footage shows Sirr entering the tunnel just after 3 p.m. In the video, Sirr was at the front of the police line pushing against rioters who were assaulting officers.
He was also seen pushing against the police line with his hand pressed against a police shield, Graves said.
Sirr also joined a group of rioters who were pushing against police with riot shields and shouting “Heave! Ho!”
He exited the tunnel just before 3:15.
An hour later, he reappeared at the Lower West Terrace doorway and was pushing other rioters who were pushing against police officers.
“Sirr ultimately was ejected from the tunnel area,” Graves said.
On June 29, 2022, Sirr was arrested in North Kingstown.
His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 12.
Graves noted that since Jan. 6, 2021, over 950 people have been arrested for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol. Over 284 people were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
