Retired firefighter Robert Sanford accused of throwing extinguisher at arrested Capitol cops

CHESTER, Pennsylvania – A retired Pennsylvania firefighter is accused of being the man seen in the video playing a fire extinguisher that hit three police officers on Capitol Hill during the Washington, DC riot last week.

Robert Sanford, 55, of Chester, was arrested Thursday morning on four federal charges, including intentional entry into a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol Hill, civil disorder and assaulting police officers in their official duties.

According to the prosecution documents, the fire extinguisher bounced off the heads of three police officers, two of whom wore helmets.

Sanford, 55, traveled by bus with others to the Capitol, according to documents. When he returned home, he told a friend that he was at the scene for 10 minutes before leaving, but did not mention throwing anything at the police, officials said.

Sanford was identified after a longtime friend contacted the FBI in Pennsylvania and said they recognized him from photos released by the FBI.

The friend said that Sanford “went to the White House and listened to President Donald J. Trump’s speech and then followed the president’s instructions and went to the Capitol.”

Sanford appeared in federal court in Pennsylvania for a first appearance on Thursday afternoon. He was denied release and will remain in the custody of the US Marshals until he is transferred to Washington, DC

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The defense argued that Sanford was not a risk of escape or a danger to the community, noting that he has had no previous arrests, is married and has three children.

The defense added that the allegations that he traveled to Washington to commit crimes are inaccurate and that he is not part of any extremist groups.

Prosecutors contested the claim, saying the authorities found a T-shirt associated with the far-right group Proud Boys at Sanford’s home after executing a search warrant.

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Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland said that although Sanford wore a hat with the fire department logo, he is not a current Chester city official.

Sanford was a member of the Chester Fire Department from January 1994 until February 2020.

The attack on the video is separate from the ongoing investigation into the death of Capitol Policeman Brian Sicknick, who was allegedly hit in the head by a fire extinguisher during the riot.