A Texas man facing charges for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot opened fire on sheriff’s deputies who went to his home to check on him the day he was scheduled to turn himself in to the FBI.
Nathan Donald Pelham, 40, initially faced four misdemeanor charges for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Now, he faces an additional charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Department of Justice.
Last Wednesday an FBI agent informed Pelham that he had been charged for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and instructed him to surrender on Monday, April 17.
That night officers with the local sheriff’s department were sent to Pelham’s home after his father requested a welfare check because he had a gun.
About an hour after officers arrived at the home, Pelham walked out on the porch and fired several shots at them around 9:38 pm. A deputy instructed Pelham to put his gun down, but he ignored the officer and continued to wave the weapon around until he re-entered his home, according to the DOJ.
Pelham came out a second time around 10:50 pm and fired at officers again. No injuries were reported. It is unclear when or how Pelham was arrested, but according to the DOJ, law enforcement left the scene at 12:21 am.
Officers found a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and four boxes of ammunition, as well as several 9mm sized holes in the walls in a subsequent search of Pelham’s home.
If convicted on the weapons charge, Pelham faces up to 15 years in prison. That’s on top of the three years he could potentially face for the misdemeanor charges.
