A Payson man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The man, Zach Rash, was arrested in Payson on Tuesday by the FBI.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Rash is accused of “obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and inflicting bodily injury.”

Court documents state that Rash traveled to Washington, D.C., from Utah and was seen in video footage carrying a fire extinguisher on the lower west terrace of the U.S. Capitol building.

Rash allegedly then entered the Inauguration Tunnel Entrance, which the press release states “was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement” that day.

After entering the tunnel, court documents said Rash was offered and took a stun gun from another rioter and then allegedly lunged at police officers with the weapon. He later gave the stun gun to another rioter and court documents state he participated in attempts with the crowd to push through law enforcement officers in the tunnel.

The complaint included screenshots of video footage from surveillance cameras and open-source footage obtained by investigators depicting Rash throughout the riot.

During an interview with the FBI, Rash positively identified himself in the footage and stated he did not bring a stun gun to the Capitol building, telling investigators he was given it at some point.

In addition to felony charges, Rash also is charged with various misdemeanors, including “entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or Grounds, act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.”

Rash was booked into the Utah County Jail after his arrest and was released the following day. He will make his initial appearance in Utah District Court.

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