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A man who pepper sprayed police officers. A man who carried a gun and led rioters into the Capitol. A man who wielded a baseball bat and charged into officers. Two men who coordinated an attack on police officers. A man who smashed a Capitol window and climbed through.
These were some of the 1,500 felons and would-be felons pardoned Monday by Donald Trump in a sweeping action that excused hundreds for their attack on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of a free and fair election.
The pardons were harshly condemned by the nation’s top police unions, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police – both of which endorsed Trump in the 2024 election – saying his actions cheapened the sacrifices of brave law enforcement officers.
“Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety — they are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law,” the joint statement said. “Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families.
“When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence.”
The chief of the Capitol Police cut to the core of the matter.
“I think it sends the message that politics is more important than policing,” Chief Thomas Manger told CBS News. He said his officers are “upset” by the pardons and questioning why they’re out there putting themselves in harm’s way if this is the result.
“My concern is the message that it sends when people who are arrested for committing violence against police officers are not held to account,” Manger said. “And I worry about the morale of my officers. I worry about just how this impacts them, and I don’t want them handling some protest or making some arrest in the future and scratching their head wondering, ‘Well, I wonder what’s going to happen with this case?’”
Those pardoned by Trump included some of the worst actors on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump-supporting rioters stormed the Capitol, beating police officers, ransacking offices, stealing items and carrying weapons.
Over the course of hundreds of hours of depositions and testimony in the months after the attack, Capitol Police Officers – many of whom have been hailed as heroes by the public and commended by Congress for their actions in protecting lawmakers from the crazed mob – have testified about the physical attacks they suffered that day.
With a simple signature, Trump excused all of their actions, including the most violent and those who have admitted either in court or on video to their actions that day.
Among them was Joshua Black, of Leeds, who served 22 months in federal prison after being convicted of three felonies and two misdemeanors for his actions on Jan. 6. That included carrying a weapon (knife) into the Capitol and being shown in photos and video standing on the Senate floor, as the mob searched for lawmakers.
In a video posted by Black to YouTube in the days following the attack on the Capitol, Black admitted his offenses and talked about the mob that went into the Capitol.
“… once we found out Pence turned on us and that they had stolen the election, like officially, the crowd went crazy. It became a mob,” Black said.
Also pardoned was Bryan Smith, of Huntsville, who was captured on video participating in some of the most violent attacks of police officers at the Capitol. Smith carried a stun gun into a tunnel at the Capitol, where it was used on multiple officers as Smith and others breached the building and pushed through a police line. Smith was sentenced in November to 34 months in federal prison for his actions.
Robert James Bonham, of Shelby County, hadn’t yet been tried for multiple alleged offenses, including acts of physical violence, assault of law officers and disorderly conduct. Bonham was arrested in December on multiple felony counts after FBI officials were able to identify him in security footage and police body cams. He was one of the many Trump supporters who used a flag pole to attack officers, and he was specifically accused of attempting to stab an officer with the pole.
In total, Trump pardoned at least 20 rioters – most of whom were violent actors – from Alabama as part of his sweeping list.
Also included in that list were numerous members of the groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers – two far-right, violent groups that were responsible for much of the organized destruction on Jan. 6.
