Skip to main content
Clear icon
71º

St. Augustine man accused in Capitol riot dies before trial

John Steven Anderson (right) was exposed to chemical irritants and begun suffering respiratory distress on Jan. 6. Police assisted him in getting through the line of law enforcement to medical aid. (Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A St. Augustine man who was facing charges for his role in the Capitol riots on Jan. 6 died at a Jacksonville hospital last week, multiple media outlets reported.

John Steven Anderson, 61, died at Baptist Hospital South, according to an online obituary, but his cause of death was not released.

Recommended Videos



Anderson was a Marine Corps veteran who fought the charges against him after he was seen in photos using an officer’s shield inside the U.S Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Anderson was accused of unlawfully entering the Capitol, assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, civil disorder, theft of government property and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

His obituary said he enjoyed fishing, traveling, and politics and “supported numerous conservative candidates and causes as well as religious organizations and broadcasters.”

In 1982, after four years in the Marine Corps, Anderson moved to St. Augustine where he lived the rest of his life while starting and running several businesses, according to his obituary.

John is survived by his wife of eight months and three stepchildren. His funeral will be held on Oct. 4.


Recommended Videos