Deaf man charged in Jan 6. riot, Vitali GossJankowski, on trial
Vitali GossJankowski, a deaf man who was among the rioters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, is starting a federal trial on six charges. Jury selection started on Tuesday and will continue on Thursday. Opening statements may happen on Thursday but it depends on the jury selection process.
GossJankowski was seen in photographs and videos holding a stun gun near a corridor of the Capitol where one of the most intense fightings occurred. He is facing six indictments and has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has a public defender.
The charges are: 1) obstructing a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, 2) obstruction of an official proceeding, 3) assaulting an officer of the Capitol Police Department with a stun gun, 4) entering or remaining in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and two counts of disorderly conduct.
A D.C. Police Department Detective who was tasked with investigating the Capitol attack said according to video footage, he saw GossJankowski holding and activating a Taser that was handed to him by an unknown man. The detective said the footage showed that he pushed himself through a crowd of violent individuals towards a police line that was protecting an entrance to the Capitol.
The detective said he talked with GossJankowski on January 14, 2021, and that he admitted he had a Taser but said he found it on the ground and threw it in a trashcan. The detective also said GossJankowski went to the Capitol out of curiosity and left after he couldn’t enter the Capitol.
The detective said he asked GossJankowski if he recognized a D.C. officer named Michael Fanone, who was assaulted during the riot and suffered a heart attack after he was tased on his neck multiple times.
GossJankowski told the detective that he recognized him but did not use his taser on him.
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A court document shows that GossJankowski and his attorney recently filed a motion to suppress statements he made to law enforcement officers on the basis that he was not informed of his Miranda rights, that he had a right to not say anything and obtain counsel.
The court denied the motion to suppress his statements, meaning they can be used in court.
Court documents also show that federal prosecutors offered a plea deal but that GossJankowski refused to plead guilty to the charge of assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon because he denies that it happened. The documents say GossJankowski was willing to plead guilty to other charges but not the assault charge, but that federal prosecutors have a policy that any Jan. 6 defendant charged with assault must plead guilty or go to trial. It is not known what was offered in the plea deal.
According to an individual who is attending the court proceedings in D.C., jury selection started on Tuesday. The person said there were two hearing interpreters in the courtroom. GossJankowski was seated at the defendant's table and wearing a black jacket and black pants. The person said they believe that the final jury will be selected on Thursday morning with opening statements on Thursday afternoon.
Potential jurors faced questions such as whether they had any close relationships with federal employees, what they were doing on January 6, their opinions on Trump supporters, and whether they could keep an open mind.
GossJankowski, if convicted of his charges, faces years in federal prison. We’ll provide updates on this case.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1356136/download
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/gossjankowski-vitali