4 Years After Capitol Riot, Feds Accuse South Jersey Man Of Assaulting Officer

WASHINGTON, DC — A South Jersey man was arrested last week after authorities say he dragged an officer toward the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Predrag "Peter" Jovanovic, 64, of Pilesgrove, was charged with obstruction of law during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers — both felonies. The FBI arrested Jovanovic on Thursday in New Jersey, where the Salem County resident made his initial court appearance.

Jovanovic's arrest comes nearly four years after rioters stormed the Capitol in an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election in then-President Donald Trump's favor. He was identified through body-camera, surveillance and cell-phone footage near a Capitol tunnel where rioters attacked law enforcement, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Surveillance footage showed Jovanovic entering the Lower West Terrace Tunnel and approaching the inner doorway that leads directly into the Capitol building, the DOJ said. Two minutes later, he rushed a line of police officers on the other side of the doorway, according to court documents.

One of the officers used his baton against a rioter directly in front of Jovanovic. In the ensuing scuffle, Jovanovic forced one of the doors open, allowing rioters to surge forward and attack the police line, the DOJ said.

Officers used their batons and riot shields to defend themselves while commanding rioters to move back. Jovanovic then grabbed an officer's baton and pulled it, dragging the officer toward the mob, authorities said.

Jovanovic continued pushing through the police line for another 15 minutes. He then stayed in a restricted area on the West Side of the Capitol for about 2 hours, before police cleared the scene, the DOJ said.

More than 1,500 people have been charged with offenses related to the Capitol breach, with many sentenced to jail as other cases continue to play out. The riots occurred while Congress convened to certify the then-President-Elect Joe Biden's victory and was motivated by Trump's false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election.