LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A 73-year-old Little Rock man is facing several federal charges in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol building after being arrested on Feb. 12.
A court document obtained by NPR shows that Daniel Hatcher has been charged with at least four federal charges and has admitted to officials that he entered the building.
Hatcher traveled to the Capitol along with Nathan Mackie and Brandon Mackie and he was interviewed by the FBI twice in Jan. 2021. Those interviews took place on Jan. 13 and Jan. 15 of that year.
He told FBI agents that he and the two men attended former President Donald Trump’s rally earlier in the day and then walked to the Capitol building. Hatcher then tried to scale a wall of the building before climbing down and using nearby stairs on the northwest terrace of the building in a restricted area.
The movements of Hatcher and the other two are seen in publicly available images and videos as well as security footage at the Capitol. The three would then enter the building through a broken window near the Senate Wing doors, according to the court document.
Hatcher would tell the FBI he entered through a door that was previously broken and there was a “riot police line to the left.” He then said a picture of him in front of the police was taken by Brandon Mackie.
Credit: U.S. Dept. of Justice
Hatcher, circled in yellow, is seen entering the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021.
The three men remained in that area for around two minutes before exiting through the Senate Wing doors.
Hatcher was identified thanks in part to the FBI receiving tips regarding his identification in conjunction with the available images and videos.
In the Jan. 13 interview, Hatcher said over the phone he and his “two hunting buddies” traveled to Washington D.C. on Jan. 5 and stayed at an AirBnB. He admitted to entering the Capitol building.
Hatcher was then interviewed on Jan. 15 in person at his attorney’s office where he identified himself in a photo where he was circled in yellow climbing the wall. He claimed he climbed the wall when “he saw others doing so.”
Hatcher is facing federal charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
He is the seventh Arkansan to face charges in connection to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
