A Connecticut man pleaded guilty Monday to attacking police officers in the U.S. Capitol riot in support of Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.
Richard Markey, 38, copped to one felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, the Justice Department said. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6.
Markey drove from his home in Wolcott to Washington, D.C., one day before the riot, according to the feds. He followed the crowd of thousands of rioters to the Capitol the following day.
At the Capitol, Markey climbed on top of other Trump supporters and began attacking cops from his elevated position, the feds said. He struck officers with a baton and attempted to punch them with his fists before stomping on a police shield, according to investigators.
Markey then grabbed a pole from the officers and struck them seven different times with it, with such force that it broke on the seventh strike, according to the Justice Department.
At the scene, Markey shouted, “Oath breaker! Oath breaker! You’re not doing your f—ing job,” the feds said.
More than two years after the riot, Markey was arrested in Wolcott on July 17, 2023. He was initially charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder, and disorderly or disruptive conduct, along with other crimes. Various charges were dropped as part of his plea deal.
More than 1,400 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot in support of Trump. They’ve been handed sentences ranging from probation to 22 years. In interviews ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Trump has said he would pardon a large number of Jan. 6 rioters if he is re-elected.
