A Dallas native who allegedly used a crutch to assault police officers while raiding the United States Capitol last month is due to appear in court on Friday, the FBI said.
Luke Coffee, 41, surrendered to the authorities in Dallas on Thursday.
Coffee, a professional actor, is at least the ninth person in North Texas to be arrested in the January 6 riot after a demonstration by former President Donald Trump. It happened while Congress certified the results of the presidential elections.
According to a criminal complaint, Coffee was wearing a brown hat, camouflage clothes and a blue bandana, and he was supposed to wield a crutch when trying to make his way to the United States Capitol on January 6.
Photos of Coffee recorded on a camera next to the body of a policeman and security surveillance cameras were included in the criminal complaint as evidence in the case.
US Department of Justice The FBI included this photo taken from a video with no source in evidence as part of a criminal complaint against Luke Coffee.
According to the criminal complaint, while attacking the US Capitol on January 6, Coffee walked up the steps to the Lower Terrace entrance and turned to the crowd to make several statements.
The complaint alleges that, after entering the entrance, Coffee was involved in an altercation with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and US Capitol officers.
Images from the cameras used by the officers show Coffee making physical contact with the officers, the complaint alleges.
According to the complaint, Coffee retrieved a crutch from the top of the stairs, which he held over his head while facing the crowd.
US Department of Justice The FBI included this photo taken from a video with no source in evidence as part of a criminal complaint against Luke Coffee.
Coffee then used his crutch to pass the MPD and USCP officers’ queue at the Capitol building.
According to the complaint, Coffee attacked the police while “holding the crutch more aggressively”.
US Department of Justice The FBI included this photo taken from a video recorded on the camera of a policeman’s body as evidence as part of a criminal action against Luke Coffee.
The complaint alleges that, based on images from cameras worn on the police force, Coffee, “intended to use the crutch as a blunt weapon, positioning the crutch directly towards the upper chest / head of the police officer”.
US Department of Justice The FBI included this photo taken from a video recorded on the camera of a policeman’s body as evidence as part of a criminal action against Luke Coffee.
A witness, who informed investigators that they met Coffee in the summer of 2020, told investigators that they recognized Coffee in videos of the Capitol riot that were posted on social media and YouTube. The witness told investigators that they had already seen Coffee in a social media video discussing various conspiracy theories, the complaint alleges.
According to the criminal complaint, FBI agents conducted an interview with Coffee on January 13, during which Coffee admitted to being on the US Capitol on January 6 and informed agents that he was wearing a brown hat and holding a crutch over his head while he was on the Capitol.
Coffee told agents that he “was not involved in any kind of physical confrontation with the police while on Capitol Hill,” according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, Coffee told agents that he left Dallas in a truck on January 4 and arrived in Washington DC on the night of January 5. He said he “could not remember where he lived while he was in Washington DC,” the complaint.
Coffee informed agents that he returned to Dallas around 7 January.
The complaint states that the FBI Washington Field Office has published several “Looking for Information” posters with photos of people who participated in the Capitol riot.
After publishing one of these posters on January 16, the FBI received several tips identifying one of the individuals portrayed as Luke Coffee, the complaint alleges.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI identified Luke Coffee using photos and videos posted on social media, a driver’s license from Coffee and photos and videos recorded on the officer’s cameras next to the body and security surveillance cameras at the United States Capitol in January 6.
Coffee is expected to face charges of assaulting a federal police officer with a dangerous weapon, interference with a police officer during civil unrest, obstruction of an official process, illegal entry into restricted areas and disorderly conduct on the capitol.
On February 26, according to the George Washington University Extremism Program, federal charges were brought against more than 254 people associated with the riot, including Richardson’s North Texans Garret Miller; Larry Rendall Brock, from Grapevine; Savoy’s Nolan Cooke; Jennifer Leigh Ryan, from Frisco; Guy Wesley Reffitt, by Wylie; Troy Anthony Smocks, from Dallas; Nicholas DeCarlo, from Burleson; Daniel Goodwyn from Corinth; McKinney’s Jason Hyland, Katherine Schwab and now Luke Coffee.