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Chicago Man Faces Federal Charges for Punching Court Clerk

He remains detained pending his first court date under a forcible assault complaint that carries up to eight years in prison.

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Overview

  • Surveillance footage shows Joshua Rowell approaching the clerk from behind outside the Dirksen Federal Building and delivering a punch that knocked her to the ground.
  • The unnamed clerk was hospitalized with a concussion after the Tuesday afternoon attack during her official duties.
  • Chicago police arrested Rowell about an hour after the assault in a swift response aimed at enhancing courthouse safety.
  • The federal complaint filed Friday invokes a statute that imposes up to eight years in prison for assaulting a government employee on duty.
  • U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros vowed zero tolerance for violence against federal staff and promised swift prosecution of the case.