Chicago-area brothers charged in U.S. Capitol breach

Federal authorities have arrested and charged two brothers from the Chicago area with assaulting officers and helping to remove barriers during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Daniel Leyden, 55, of Chicago, and Joseph Leyden, 56, of La Grange, are each charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers. Both are also charged with a felony count of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, as well as four other misdemeanors.

Daniel Leyden was arrested in Chicago and his brother was taken into custody in La Grange. They were set to make their initial court appearances Tuesday.

According to court documents, Daniel Leyden was in a crowd that confronted law enforcement officers at metal barricades around 12:50 p.m. near the Peace Circle. He and other rioters are accused of repeatedly lifting and pushing the barricades, causing a Capitol Police officer to fall and get pinned underneath the barricade.

At the same time, the rioters used the barricade to assault other officers, including one who was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, court documents say.

Meanwhile, Joseph Leyden was allegedly at the West Plaza with rioters who began pulling barricades into the crowd. As a Metropolitan Police Department officer attempted to regain control of one of the metal barriers, Joseph Leyden lunged at and pushed the officer, court documents say.

The feds say the brothers were captured on publicly available video footage of the breach. Joseph Leyden was also caught on officers’ body-worn cameras, court documents say.

At least 30 other Illinois residents have been charged in the breach, which interrupted a joint session of Congress that was in the midst of affirming the results of the 2020 presidential election.

In the 19 months since the riot, more than 860 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states in connection with the attack.