State College man found guilty of assaulting a police officer, obstructing vote on Jan. 6
A State College man was found guilty Wednesday of striking a police officer when he joined the mob of rioters in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, federal prosecutors wrote in a statement Thursday.
Brian Gundersen, 28, was found guilty by federal Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan of obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting a law enforcement officer.
The judge in the District of Columbia issued the verdict after a trial where federal prosecutors and Gundersen agreed on certain facts.
Gundersen first climbed a window next to the Senate wing door and shouted at Capitol police officers. He then joined a mob entering the building and was one of the first to enter the Capitol through the Parliamentarian door.
Gundersen waved more rioters into the door as others engaged in a confrontation with police officers, prosecutors wrote. While inside, rioters ransacked the room.
Prosecutors wrote Gundersen spent about eight minutes inside and wrote a note expressing “mock remorse.”
“Sowwy for damage,” Gundersen wrote. He was forced out of the building, returned and was forced out a second time, prosecutors wrote.
Gundersen then “rushed an officer” and hit him with his arm. Another officer pushed him away with a riot shield, prosecutors wrote.
Gundersen made several posts on social media in the days after the attack, including one that said, “We all stormed the us capital and tried to take over the government.”
In another post, Gundersen wrote, “We can check bum rushing the capitol building off the list of potential ways to take over the government.”
Gundersen, a former high school football player in New York, told Hogan he takes medications for bipolar and attention deficit disorders, PennLive reported.
Nearly 900 people have been arrested in nearly every state for alleged crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, including more than 275 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
The only other known person with ties to Centre County to be charged is Julian Khater, the former owner of the now-closed Frutta Bowls in downtown State College. He pleaded guilty in September and is likely facing a sentence ranging from about 6 1/2 to eight years.
Gundersen remains free pending his appearance at future hearings. He’s scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 27.
