HOUSTON – A man from Tomball was arrested Monday for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
William Hendry Mellors, 50, of Tomball, Texas, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony and misdemeanor offenses, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon. He was arrested in Houston.
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According to court documents, on Jan. 6, Mellors illegally entered the grounds of the Capitol.
He was among rioters engaging in a confrontation with law enforcement officers, and he sprayed officers with a chemical substance that appeared to be a commercially available bear spray, according to court documents.
He later was identified through photographs and other evidence.
In a voluntary interview with the FBI on May 31, 2022, Mellors admitted that he brought two cannisters of bear spray with him to Washington on Jan. 6.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Houston Field Office. FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department offered assistance.
In the 18 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 850 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 260 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
MORE: Complete list of Texas suspects charged in Jan. 6 Capitol breach; 15 from Houston area