HELENA — A trial date has been set for former Helena-area rural fire chief Frank Dahlquist who is accused of assaulting police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to a federal court filing, a plea offer was rejected and a trial is set for January 27, 2025, before Judge Beryl Howell in District of Columbia U.S. District Court.
Dahlquist is accused in court documents of pepper spraying and assaulting police at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riot. He was allegedly captured on video and images from multiple entities at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, including security cameras and officer-worn body cameras.
Dahlquist is facing nine federal counts for alleged actions during the Jan. 6 Riot at the U.S. Capitol, including assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon and civil disorder.
Investigators submitted pictures and video they say show Dahlquist, with his face covered, allegedly spraying “an orange-colored chemical agent” directly into the face of a police officer. Prosecutors also allege he was captured on a body-worn camera allegedly assaulting another police officer.
Dahlquist is further accused of entering the Capitol Building, remaining there for about half an hour, and then remaining on the Upper West Terrace for another hour.
Federal agents said his former supervisors at the fire station he worked at in Issaquah, Washington positively identified Dahlquist from pictures taken at the U.S. Capitol.
Since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,500 individuals have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Nine of those individuals have direct Montana ties.
