Capitol Riot

2 Texas Men Arrested, Accused of Assaulting Officers During Capitol Riot

The men were part of a militia group, according to the FBI

Samuel Corum | Getty Images

Two North Texas men were arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and accused of dressing in tactical gear and assaulting officers during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Donald Hazard, 43, of Hurst, and Lucas Denney, 44, of Mansfield, face multiple charges in connection with the attack on Congress. A judge ordered them both to remain jailed.

Denney used social media to recruit members to join his militia group, the Patriot Boys of North Texas, and travel with him to Washington, according to court documents.

Denney and Hazard joined other rioters in yelling at police officers and assaulting them, prosecutors said.

Hazard briefly entered the Parliamentarian’s office and then fought with an officer as they were both falling down some stairs under scaffolding, the FBI said.

The officer was knocked unconscious and injured his head, foot and arm.

Another officer overheard Hazard yelling to the crowd, "Get the gun!" according to the complaint.

"We are storming our nation's capitol," Hazard said in a Facebook video, according to prosecutors. "This is America ... Look at all these patriots."

"It's a sad day when Patriots have to fight law enforcement but they turned on us so they get what they got," Hazard wrote on Facebook, according to the complaint.

DOJ/NBC 5 News
Lucas Denney, 44, of Mansfield, left, and Donald Hazard, 43, of Hurst, right.

Outside, Denney picked up a metal pole and swung it at an officer, then grabbed a large tube and launched it toward a line of law enforcement officers on the west side of the Capitol, agents said.

Denney also participated in “heave-ho” efforts to get inside the building and swung his fist at an officer, according to a criminal complaint.

Video showed Denney approach a police officer and ask, "Who are you all protecting?" the FBI said. He then reached out and grabbed a metal barricade and attempted to pull it away.

Denney and Hazard are the 34th and 35th people arrested in the Jan. 6 assault by the Dallas FBI office.

According to the complaint, agents obtained messages between the two men as early as Dec. 21.

"Hey if your trip is paid for can you go to DC?" Denney asked Hazard. "I'm making you sergeant at arms."

"I'm sure I could.sounds good man (sic)," Hazard replied. "What does a sergeant at arms do?"

"An SA watches the president's back," Denney said. "Kinda like security."

It's not clear who paid for the trip but Denney took donations, the FBI said.

Denney voluntarily met with FBI agents on Feb. 26 and acknowledged he was president of the Patriot Boys of North Texas, which he identified as a conservative, pro-Trump group. But he falsely claimed he didn't know anyone who had traveled to the Jan. 6 rally, prosecutors said.

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