Tommy E. Tatum (photo left), 48, of Greenville, Mississippi, was finally arrested on June 26, 2024, for his participation in the Capitol riot, NBC News reported here.
He’s charged with harassing police officers, a felony, and several misdemeanors.
Tatum wasn’t hard to find. He was a witness for several J6 defendants, and has been “a frequent presence” at vigils held for J6 rioters at the D.C. jail.
He also harassed police witnesses at the courthouse, and “posted extensively online” about the Jan. 6 riot (see story here).
So why now? Is his arrest, and these charges, retaliation for those activities?
Authorities have ample grounds to prosecute him for Jan. 6 crimes, and others have been prosecuted for less.
He was “on the front lines as the pro-Trump mob chased down outnumbered police officers” and “made his way to the lower west tunnel, where some of the worst violence of the day took place.” He urged the mob forward, exhorted rioters to seize officers’ helmets, and approached a police line with a flagpole leveled at officers’ chests like a spear.
It doesn’t look like he’s being singled out. There have been other recent arrests of J6 rioters. More than 1,400 people have been charged with Jan. 6 crimes, “and prosecutors have secured convictions against over 1,000 defendants.” That’s more of a conga line than a mass roundup.
So probably the best explanation is that it’s simply taking this much time to process all the cases, and it’s even possible Tatum’s arrest was given lower priority because they knew where he was and could take him into custody at leisure.
In any case, the fact he’s been a pain to authorities doesn’t exempt him from being prosecuted for his own Jan. 6 crimes. And as I’ve written before, in connection with Trump’s Manhattan trial, prosecutors’ motivation for bringing charges is irrelevant; what matters is whether they can prove the charged crimes, and a jury decides guilt or innocence.