Man arrested in Orlando accused of attacking Capitol officer during riot

Jonathan Munafo facing 10 new charges in connection with Jan. 6

ORLANDO, Fla. – A 10 count indictment accuses a man arrested in Orlando of assaulting a Capitol police officer during the insurrection in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.

Jonathan Munafo appeared at the federal courthouse in downtown Orlando Friday morning prepared for a preliminary hearing to learn what allegations the government was making against him.

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Instead, a federal judge told Munafo a federal grand jury had handed down the indictment, which made the hearing unnecessary.

According to federal documents, Munafo was once known as BOLO subject 170 on the FBI’s website designed to track down subjects wanted in connection with Jan. 6 riot.

In video, a man whom investigators identified as Munafo is seen punching a Capitol police officer in the head and body twice, pulling away the officer’s riot shield and passing it to others in the crowd behind him.

Investigators also claim Munafo is seen in surveillance pictures showing a man with a Gadsden flag trying to break windows of the Capitol building using the flagpole.

FBI agents said they met with a man who had been friends with Munafo for 20 years and he identified the man in the video and the pictures.

“I know it’s him,” they said the man claimed.

Jonthan Munafo's Twitter page shows posts of him attending several rallies for President Trump in 2020. (Copyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

News 6 investigated and according to Munafo’s Twitter page, he attended or shared images and video from several Trump rallies held around the country last year.

He posted about rallies in Las Vegas, San Clemente and Charleston.

News 6 also obtained video of Munafo camping out at a rally in Tulsa in the middle of the pandemic.

Munafo faces charges that include assaulting a member of law enforcement, theft of government property and obstructing congress.

If he’s convicted, he faces a maximum of 68 years in prison.


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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