Jesse James Rumson, the man who dressed in a panda costume during the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, has been convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer. He waived his right to a jury trial and chose a bench trial where he was found guilty on all eight counts by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols. Rumson assaulted and resisted Prince George’s County Cpl. Scott Ainsworth and engaged in disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
On Jan. 6, 2021, after rioters breached a door in the Senate wing, Rumson was among the first twenty individuals to access the building through that entryway. He was wearing a panda costume head and held a flag that read “Don’t tread on me.” Online communities referred to him as “#SeditionPanda.” Pictures from that day showed him entering the building in the costume, but later he lost the panda head, was handcuffed, and forced out of the Capitol. Photographs presented in court showed rioters helping to remove the handcuffs from Rumson’s wrists.
When Rumson was freed, he allegedly ran through the crowd gathered outside the Capitol towards a line of officers defending the building. He allegedly grabbed an officer’s mask, forcing the officer’s head and neck back and upwards. Rumson was arrested in February 2023, more than two years after the Capitol assault. The officer who was attacked, Ainsworth, testified about the assault in court. The Justice Department has prosecuted over 1,200 criminal cases in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol assault, with more than 700 pleading guilty and scores being convicted.
The Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot saw Rumson and other rioters breach the building, causing chaos and destruction. Rumson’s actions were captured in photographs that were presented in court as evidence against him. Even though he was handcuffed and removed from the building at some point, he was seen celebrating as the handcuffs were removed. His attack on the law enforcement officer further incriminated him, leading to his conviction on all eight counts. Rumson’s sentencing in September will determine the consequences of his actions during the Capitol riot.
Rumson’s decision to participate in the Capitol riot dressed in a panda costume garnered attention and earned him the nickname “#SeditionPanda” in online communities. He has been found guilty of assaulting a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and engaging in disorderly conduct during the riot. The evidence presented in court included images of Rumson with and without the panda headpiece, showing his actions and movements during the assault. The extensive prosecution efforts by the Justice Department following the Capitol assault have resulted in numerous convictions and guilty pleas, with Rumson being one of the individuals held accountable for his role in the violent events of Jan. 6, 2021.
