A Connecticut man is facing federal charges for allegedly assaulting a Metro D.C. police officer during the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
Patrick Edward McCaughey III was chargedthis week with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees; civil disorder; entering restricted building or grounds; and violent entry or disorderly conduct.
“Even after days of seeing so many shocking and horrific scenes from the siege on the U.S. Capitol, the savage beating of D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Hodges stands out for the assailants’ blatant disregard for human life,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office in a written statement from federal prosecutors.
According to prosecutors, a video posted to YouTube show rioters pushing up against a line of uniformed law enforcement officers trying to prevent rioters from entering a door of the Capitol. A man, identified as McCaughey, prosecutors say, is seen on the video pushing against the left side of an officer’s body with a clear police riot shield.
“The officer was pinned between the clear police riot shield being held by McCaughey and the lower west terrace door. The officer appeared to be loudly crying out in pain,” prosecutors said.“As the officer was being pinned to the door by McCaughey, a separate rioter was violently ripping off the officer’s gas mask, exposing the officer’s bloodied mouth.”
Federal investigators say as McCaughey was pushing up against the officer with the shield, rioters behind him were pushing forward and adding weight against the officer.
McCaughey appeared in court Tuesday, and will be brought to D.C., according to prosecutors.
