WASHINGTON — A Tennessee man who used medical scissors to smash a glass door leading into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts for his role in the riot.
Allan Jennings, of Hillsboro, pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder and one misdemeanor count pf destruction of government property. He could face a recommended sentencing guideline of as low as four months or as high as 18, depending upon whether a judge rules his actions carried a conscious or reckless risk of death or serious bodily injury.
According to a statement of facts included in the plea, Jennings and his wife traveled from their home in Tennessee to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally in D.C. on Jan. 6. After attending the rally, Jennings walked to the Capitol and eventually joined a mob at the entrance to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where officers were attempting to hold a line to prevent rioters from entering the building. Once there, Jennings admitted he was “among the first few rioters to pursue retreating police officers” into the tunnel.
Inside the tunnel, police had closed a double set of glass doors to stop rioters from entering further into the building. As the mob grew behind him, Jennings admitted he pulled out a pair of medical scissors with a glass-breaking tip and struck one of the doors multiple times until it shattered. Afterward, the mob moved through the broken doors and began to push on the police line. Jennings himself moved forward as well and placed his hands on an officer’s riot shield.
Jennings was first identified to the FBI in November 2021 by an anonymous tip saying he’d posted on Facebook about his presence at the riot. He was interviewed by the FBI in January 2022, during which he confirmed he was at the Capitol and that he was the individual seen at the Capitol wearing a red Trump hat and dark jacket. He was arrested in September 2023 on one felony count of civil disorder and four misdemeanors.
Jennings was scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4 by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. He was allowed to remain on release on personal recognizance until sentencing.