Mark Ponder

Mark Ponder, 56, of Washington, D.C., swung a long pole at a U.S. Capitol Police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, striking the officer's raised riot shield so hard that the pole snapped in two; after retreating into the crowd, he picked up a second, thicker pole painted red, white, and blue and struck another officer, who again blocked the blow with his shield, in an assault that was among the longest prison terms imposed in a Jan. 6 case at the time. Overwhelmed police briefly detained but had to release him that day due to being outnumbered; he was later identified and arrested. He pleaded guilty to one charge, assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, with other charges dismissed, and was held without bond from March 2021. He was sentenced on 7/26/2022 to 63 months of incarceration, three years of supervised release, $2,000 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment.