Katy man pleads guilty to Jan. 6 assault

A 43-year-old Katy man admitted Friday to hurling a conelike object at law enforcement officers and using a stolen police riot shield during the Jan. 6 breach on the Capitol building.

Adam Lejay Jackson pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a felony offense of assaulting a federal officer. Jackson was charged in June 2022, along with his co-defendant and brother, Brian Jackson.

The Jacksons flew with a friend to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, to protest Congress’ certification of the Electoral College after the 2020 U.S. presidential election, according to court documents.

Before marching to the Capitol, Jackson attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on the National Mall, court documents said. After the rally, Jackson went to the West Plaza of the Capitol and spoke to fellow rioters. During the banter, court documents said Jackson asked the rioters, “Are we going in?” He also told them “We got your back,” “If one goes, we all go” and “What are we doing standing here? Let’s go!”

As rioters began aggressively interacting with law enforcement, Jackson climbed a ladder around 4:15 p.m. and pulled out his cellphone to record what was happening at the Capitol building, court records show.

Jackson rejoined the rioters at 4:57 p.m. at the Lower West Terrace. As law enforcement tried fending off the rioters, Jackson hurled a large red and orange cone-like object at them and then charged at officers by ramming them with the stolen police riot shield, according to court documents.

Days later, on Jan. 10, Jackson began messaging someone back and forth on Facebook, court records said. During the online conversation, the unknown individual told Jackson that it looked like they “were all up in it,” to which Jackson replied, “We were. I’m f ****** pissed at what is happening and the things that are being covered up.” Jackson also told the unknown user that he would do his best to attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration and that he’s “working on it.”

Jackson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9, according to a Justice Department news release.

Brian Jackson has not pleaded yet after being accused of throwing a flagpole at law enforcement during the breach.

In nearly three years since the riots, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, including more than 398 individuals charged with felony assaulting or impeding law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.