A 27-year-old Traverse City man was arrested Thursday in connection to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Luke Michael Lints is facing multiple charges including obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Lints was "among rioters who repeatedly engaged in violence against law enforcement officers guarding the Capitol." The complaint states that "Lints participated in the confrontation with law enforcement officers in the Lower West Terrace and tunnel areas of the Capitol. He entered the tunnel on the Lower West Terrace at approximately 3:10pm, making his way towards the front of the police line. He held a police shield and pushed back against law enforcement officers. At one point, Lints used a police shield to prevent a law enforcement officer from closing a door to protect himself from the rioters. Lints also was part of the crowd directly outside the tunnel as a Metropolitan Police Department officer was being assaulted by rioters."

Lints made his inital court appearance Thursday in the Western District of Michigan. His case is being 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 Western District of Michigan," according to the Department of Justice. "The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and its Traverse City Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Lints as #261 on its seeking-information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department."

In the 17 months since the January 6 attack, more than 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 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.