U.S. Capitol Riots

Connecticut Man Charged in Connection With Assault of Officer at US Capitol

The FBI arrested Patrick Edward McCaughey in South Salem, New York

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A Connecticut man has been arrested in connection with the assault of a Washington, D.C., police officer during the siege on the United States Capitol two weeks ago.

The officer, Daniel Hodges, was pinned against a doorway. Video of that attack prompted a 10-year-old Montana girl, who was concerned about what she saw, to write a letter to Hodges.

Patrick Edward McCaughey III has been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees; civil disorder; entering restricted building or grounds; and violent entry or disorderly conduct, according to federal officials.

The charging documents go on to say that McCaughey was seen using a clear police riot shield to push against Officer Hodges, who was pinned between the shield and the lower west terrace door of the U.S. Capitol as he cried out in pain.

Documents say the hometown listed with the state Department of Motor Vehicles for McCaughey is in Ridgefield.

“The vicious attack on Officer Hodges was abhorrent and quintessentially un-American,” Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin said in a statement. “It is my pledge that anyone involved in violent attacks on law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. McCaughey’s alleged actions were an assault on Officer Hodges, the Capitol, and the rule of law itself.”

According to charging documents, a video posted to YouTube showed rioters attempting to break through the line of uniformed law enforcement officers stationed to keep rioters from entering and a man identified as McCaughey can be seen using a clear police riot shield to push against Hodges.

Photos: Pro-Trump Supporters Breach the Capitol Building

As McCaughey pinned the officer to the door, "a separate rioter was violently ripping off the officer’s gas mask, exposing the officer’s bloodied mouth," charging documents state.

"As McCaughey was using the riot shield to push against the officer, numerous other rioters behind and around McCaughey appeared to add to the weight against the officer,” a news release from the United States Department of Justice says.

The FBI arrested McCaughey in South Salem, New York.

“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 perpetrator’s blatant disregard for human life,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Patrick McCaughey’s actions were violent, barbaric, and completely out of control. The FBI will relentlessly pursue individuals who took part in this activity and we will continue our unwavering commitment to ensure all those responsible for assaults on law enforcement officers are brought to justice.”

Photos: Cleanup Efforts Begin After Violence Shakes the Capitol

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