IL Proud Boys Member Pleads Guilty To Officer Assault In Capitol Riot

AURORA, IL — A 25-year-old Aurora resident and member of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the Capitol breach Jan. 6, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

James Robert Elliot was arrested in Batavia in December 2021 and indicted on six charges, Patch reported. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2023, when he faces a statutory maximum of eight years in prison and potential financial penalties.

The Aurora man was among a throng of people who disrupted a U.S. Congress joint session convened to ascertain and count electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election, officials said. On the day of the riot, he, along with other members of the Proud Boys — who describe themselves as members of a "pro-Western fraternal organization of men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world" — marched from the area around the Washington Monument toward the Capitol Building.

Elliot was wearing a ballistic vest, helmet and hard-knuckled gloves. He had a radio on him and carried a flag with a wooden pole, officials said Wednesday.

RELATED: Aurora Man Used Flagpole In Capitol Breach Assault: DOJ

Once at the Capitol, Elliot illegally passed barriers and entered the restricted grounds just before 1:40 p.m. At the West Front, he faced a mob standing behind him and shouted: "Patriots, what is your occupation?" before responding, "Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh!" while thrusting his flagpole in the air, according to the DOJ. The phrase is based on a battle cry from "300," a 2006 film directed by Zack Snyder.

When officers attempted to replace bike rack barriers to keep the group back, prosecutors said Elliot swung his flagpole at officers, making contact with one of them. He proceeded to advance to the base of the inauguration scaffolding, where he repeated the battle cry.

Police repelled Elliot with "chemical irritants," stopping him from advancing, according to the DOJ.

Officials' investigation into Elliot uncovered text messages he sent following the Jan. 6 event. They described his actions to say, among other things, "I bonked 2 cops ... never thought I'd say that lol," officials said.

The investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol breach remains ongoing. In the 21 months since the event, officials said they arrested more than 880 people in almost all 50 states, with more than 270 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.