Photographer arrested on Capitol riot charges

A freelance photographer has been arrested for his actions related to the Capitol protest of Jan. 6, 2021. 

The Associated Press reports that 27-year-old Patrick Gorski was arrested on Thursday.

Gorski now joins the more than 1,500 individuals who have been arrested following the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Arrests and convictions, of course, are two very different things.

Here is what we know:

The details of the allegations against Gorski were revealed in court records that were released last week. The 18 pages of documents can be found in their entirety here.

Gorski was one of those individuals, according to the documents, who attended then-President Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally before heading over to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The Associated Press reports:

Authorities allege that during the attack, Gorski climbed scaffolding, breaching police lines, and took photos and videos inside the building. He yelled at officers, pushed against an officer’s riot shield, and was eventually forced out after being sprayed with a chemical irritant.

A question is whether Gorski was acting as a professional photographer on that day.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is claiming that Gorski told them that he was not. He has not professionally published any photos that he took on that day, but it appears that some of his photographs from that day have been released.

Looking forward to the Trump admin

Gorski has been hit with several charges, including obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder. Following his arrest, he saw a federal judge who agreed to release him on bond until his next court appearances.

Gorski, for his part, has not released a statement on the matter. His attorney has declined to provide a comment on the situation.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia states:

In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

It would appear that the Biden administration has made it a singular focus of theirs to target those individuals who were in any way involved in the events that transpired on Jan. 6, 2021.

The incoming administration of President-Elect Trump is expected to take a different approach to this situation. What this approach will be - including whether Trump will try to get charges dropped and/or convictions thrown out - remains unclear.