The defendant yelled at the officers and used a flagpole to assault the police sergeant
WASHINGTON — A Florida woman was found guilty today in the District of Columbia of multiple felony counts for her actions during the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the US Congress convened to hear and count electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Audrey Ann Southard-Rumsey, 54, of Spring Hill, Florida, was found guilty of three counts of assault, resisting or impeding officers, three counts of civil disorder and one count of obstruction of official proceeding, all felonies. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 3, 2023.
According to court documents, Southard-Rumsey led the group that stormed the Capitol on the Eastern Front. He ran into a Capitol Police officer on the stairs leading up to the building and tried to rip the shield out of his hands. He entered the Capitol building through the east door of the rotunda at approximately 2:26 p.m. behind him. Southard-Rumsey was caught on video yelling, “Tell Pelosi we’re going for that bitch” and “We’re a hundred thousand, what’s it going to be?”
At some point during his interaction with the police sergeant, Southard-Rumsey obtained a flagpole which he held in his hands and pressed against the sergeant’s chest. As alleged, Southard-Rumsey began to push the sergeant, causing him to fall backwards against the first set of doors leading to the Chamber floor. As a result, the doors flew open and the sergeant hit the back of the head on the base of the marble statue of Lafayette. At the door of the House of Representatives, Southard-Rumsey yelled “Pelosi, we’re coming for you!”
Officers led Southard-Rumsey out of the area and to the roundabout. She joined a group of people who, seeking access to Speaker Pelosi’s office, pushed a group of police officers down some stairs. She then returned to the Rotunda. As the officers attempted to clear the area of unauthorized persons, she grabbed two officers’ batons and then grabbed a metal stud with both hands, threatening the nearby officers.
Southard-Rumsey was arrested on June 2, 2021. She faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge, as well as a statutory maximum of eight years in prison for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, and a legal maximum of five years in prison for civil disorder. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
Prosecutors in the case are the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s Homeland Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida provided valuable assistance.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Tampa and Washington field offices, with valuable assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the US Capitol Police.
In the 24 months since January 6, 2021, approximately 950 people have been arrested on charges related to the January 6 breach of the Capitol, including more than 284 people accused of assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
