Illinois National Guard Veteran Charged In Jan. 6 Attack: Authorities

SHERIDAN, IL — Two brothers, including a veteran of the Illinois National Guard from LaSalle County, have been charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents.

Joseph Bierbrodt of Sheridan and William Bierbrodt of St. Cloud, Florida, both face several charges, including physical violence, obstructing police and disorderly conduct, legal records said. Additionally, Joseph Bierbrodt is charged with assaulting a federal officer and William Bierbrodt is charged with injury to property, according to the documents, filed Wednesday.

William Bierbrodt, also known as #CrowbarBeardGuy, used his cane to break a window on a fire door in the Senate Wing and unlock it, letting in rioters and causing damage assessed at $1,118, authorities said. Joseph Bierbrodt entered through the door and slammed a Capitol police special agent against a wall before later being pepper sprayed by officers and exiting the Capitol with his brother, according to authorities.

William Bierbrodt advocated in numerous social media posts on Parler for violence against members of a differing political ideology, documents said.

Joseph Bierbrodt was honored with an award in 2018 when he was a first sergeant for the Illinois National Guard after he took a young girl whose father had died in a military training accident to a father-daughter dance. William Bierbrodt is also a veteran, according to NBC News.

As of early July, nearly 1,100 people had been charged in connection with the Capitol attack, more than 500 of whom had been sentenced, authorities said.