A Florida man and member of the South Florida
Broward Chapter of the “Proud Boys” was sentenced to prison today after
he previously pleaded guilty to three felonies, including assaulting a
law enforcement officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. His
actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S.
Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to
the 2020 presidential election.
Kenneth Bonawitz, 58, of Pompano Beach, Florida, and a member
of the Miami chapter of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 60 months in
prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in
restitution and fines by U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb. Bonawitz
pleaded guilty to three felony charges, including one count of civil
disorder and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain
officers on on Aug. 17, 2023.
According to court documents, Bonawitz, who came to the
Capitol prepared for violence and armed with a knife, was one of the
more violent January 6 rioters. Bonawitz assaulted at least six law
enforcement officers on the West Plaza. His attacks included hurling
himself at officers and tackling them to the ground, placing one officer
in a chokehold, and lifting the officer up by the neck. Bonawitz’s
attacks injured one officer, who was also a first responder to the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attack at the Pentagon, so severely that
the officer has now been forced to retire from the United States Capitol
Police.
On Jan. 5, 2021, Bonawitz traveled from his home in Pompano
Beach, Florida, to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally at the Ellipse on
January 6th. After the rally, Bonawitz made his way to the West Front
of the U.S. Capitol and was among the first of the rioters to push
through a police defensive line on the grounds at about 2:28 p.m.
Bonawitz was carrying an 8-inch hunting knife in a sheath attached to
his belt.
As police were attempting to hold thousands of rioters back,
Bonawitz mounted the stage that had been built for the upcoming
Inauguration. He then ran the length of the stage, raised his arms,
threw himself into the air as the stage ended, and used his outstretched
arms to tackle two United States Capitol Police officers who were
standing at the base of a short set of stairs.
After these assaults, officers confiscated the eight-inch
knife that Bonawitz had been carrying in a sheath on his hip. Due to the
unfolding chaos, the officers were not able to detain Bonawitz at that
time and released him back into the crowd after confiscating the knife.
Bonawitz then confronted the officers who were attempting to reestablish
the line. He rejoined the mob and again confronted additional officers
on a defensive police line. Almost immediately, Bonawitz assaulted four
separate Metropolitan Police Department officers in a melee.
As rioters pushed back against the police line, Bonawitz
shoved an officer, causing the officer to stumble forward. When the
officer turned to face Bonawitz, he wrapped his arms around the officer
from behind, inserted his forearm under the officer’s shield, and then
put the officer in a chokehold. He briefly lifted the officer off the
ground and caused the officer to gag before struggling free of his grip.
Bonawitz assaulted three more officers before he began to
exit the area around the West Front after being sprayed with a chemical
agent.
As he exited Capitol grounds, Bonawitz gave two brief
interviews to media outlets. In the first, Bonawitz stated, “I was up on
the stage breaking through the lines. D.C. police maced me, hit me over
the head with batons, and was kicking me in the side of the face.” In
the second, a reporter asked him his name and where he was from. He
replied: “Kenneth Bonawitz, Florida.”
Bonawitz was arrested on Jan. 26, 2023, in Florida.
This case was 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 Southern District of Florida.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Miami
Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol
Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265
individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related
to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals
charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The
investigation remains ongoing.
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