S

Defendant allegedly smashed glass door inside Lower West Terrace Tunnel

Hillsboro resident Allan Jennings, 56, has been arrested and charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of civil disorder as well as multiple misdemeanor offense related to his participation during the Jan. 6 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol building.

Jennings was arrested Sept. 12, 2023, in Hillsboro, Tennessee, and made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Tennessee.

According to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the misdemeanor offenses include entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and destruction of government property.

According to court documents, Jennings attended the “Stop the Steal” rally near the Washington Monument on Jan. 6, 2001, and later walked with a crowd down Constitution Ave., N.W. toward the U.S. Capitol building.

Jennings was then identified via open-source video, body-worn camera, and U.S. Capitol Police closed circuit television security video among the crowd of rioters that converged at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel.

According to the statement, Jennings, “was among the first three rioters to enter the Tunnel from the Lower West Terrace in pursuit of retreating police officers. Jennings held up his phone as he entered, apparently filming his and the other rioters’ progress. Upon entering the Tunnel, Jennings darts ahead of all of the other rioters toward the first set of glass doors inside the Tunnel. Rioters further back then began to summon more rioters to join their efforts in pushing forward as Jennings—who was still holding up his phone—looked through the glass at the assembled police officers as rioters poured into the Tunnel behind him.”

Jennings then reportedly used a knife with a glass breaking end to break a glass door, shattering it. As rioters moved past him through the broken set of doors, Jennings reportedly inspected his hand, which appeared to be injured.

“Moments later, Jennings made his way back toward the front of the mob, where he put his hands on an officer’s riot shield and pointed at officers. Shortly thereafter, Jennings—whose hand was visibly bleeding by this point—braced himself backward against the line of rioters in front of him to assist their push against the police line.”

Jennings then exited the Tunnel and returned to the Lower West Terrace.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Knoxville and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.