- Net worth
- Unknown
- Crimes
- january 6, weapons, obstruction
- Convicted of
- Charged in the District of Columbia for offenses related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach, including unlawful entry, yelling threatening language, and alleged physical violence against law enforcement officers (including use of a metal crowd-control device); the indictment was later dismissed.
- Original sentence
- N/A (charges dismissed upon pardon)
- Time served
- N/A (pardoned)
Background
Shannon Bitzer was charged in the District of Columbia for alleged conduct related to the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. According to FBI documents summarized in reporting, prosecutors alleged that he illegally entered the U.S. Capitol building, joined in a fight against police officers after being pushed out, and threw a metal crowd-control device at police officers. He was indicted in federal court on July 3, 2024.
The Case
In federal court, prosecutors alleged Bitzer committed multiple offenses tied to the January 6 Capitol breach, including (as described in reporting and reflected in the case docket) conduct involving physical violence against law enforcement, using a weapon to forcibly oppose or interfere with officers, and illegally entering a restricted building while engaging in threatening language and other acts. Allegations of throwing a metal crowd-control device at officers describe conduct that involved use of a weapon against police officers and escalated violence during the breach.
The docket shows the case was later dismissed on the government’s motion after the Jan. 20, 2025 presidential clemency proclamation.
The Pardon
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation granting pardons (and commutations) for certain offenses relating to the events at or near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Reporting on the litigation over Bitzer’s charges explains that the government then moved to dismiss the case based on that presidential clemency.
On February 17, 2025, the court granted the government’s motion and dismissed the indictment with prejudice.
Sources
- Reason (Volokh): Reporting on Jan. 6 as "insurrection" + pardon not "acquittal" (Mar. 25, 2026)
- WBIR: Tennessee man to face several charges, including engaging in physical violence, during Jan. 6 Insurrection (Aug. 5, 2024)
- United States v. Bitzer, 1:24-cr-00316 (CourtListener docket)
- United States v. Bitzer indictment (PDF, CourtListener/RECAP)
- President Trump's Proclamation Granting Pardons and Commutations for Jan. 6 Offenses (DOJ)
- Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences (White House, Jan. 20, 2025)