A retired Pennsylvania firefighter was arrested by federal authorities on Thursday for allegedly shooting a fire extinguisher that hit three policemen in the head during the assault on the US Capitol.
FBI
Robert Sanford, 55, of Upper Chichester, was arrested Thursday morning, a law source confirms to CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton. Sanford is accused of assaulting a police officer, reports Milton.
Sanford is not a suspect in death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered a fatal head injury during the siege of 6 January.
A criminal complaint identifies Sanford as the man seen in the video throwing the extinguisher at the police. It hits a policeman who was wearing a helmet on the head, then bounces off and hits a second policeman, who is not wearing a helmet, and bounces off again to hit a third policeman, who is wearing a helmet. Sanford is then seen moving quickly in the opposite direction.
One of the officers who was hit, Capitol Police officer William Young, said he felt the blow to the head and saw the fire extinguisher on the floor, but could not determine who shot it. Young was evaluated at a hospital and discharged.
A second video analyzed by the FBI showed the attack from a different angle, the complaint says. In it, Sanford is seen wearing a “CFD” hat, an image seen on social media. The complaint says that a friend from Sanford recognized him and told the FBI that Sanford admitted that he was the person seen in the image. The friend told the FBI that Sanford told him that he took a bus to Washington, DC with a group, listened to President Donald Trump’s speech and followed Trump’s instructions to go to the Capitol, according to the complaint. The friend said that Sanford admitted to being on the Capitol for about ten minutes, but did not mention shooting anything.
FBI
In a statement, the city of Chester, Pennsylvania, said that although Sanford was seen wearing a “CFD” hat during the riots – an abbreviation for the Chester Fire Department – he is no longer employed by the city. The statement said Sanford worked for the Chester Fire Department from 1994 until his retirement in February 2020.
“As the First Amendment to our Constitution outlines the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the actions of protesters in DC last week depended on characteristics of domestic terrorism,” says the statement. “That way, if anyone, whether current, former employee or resident, is confirmed to have participated in last week’s Capitol event, then we hope that our legal system will work according to its purpose and bring them to justice.”
Federal authorities are investigating more than 170 people – 32 of whom now face federal charges – in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Hundreds more charges are expected as federal investigators comb through tips, videos and social media to identify and arrest suspects across the country.
Those already charged face several charges, including illegal entry, disorderly conduct, theft, assault and weapon violations. A team of senior federal prosecutors are investigating more serious charges including sedition and conspiracy related to the “most heinous” acts on Capitol Hill, District Attorney General of Columbia Michael Sherwin said on Tuesday.
Pat Milton and Clare Hymes contributed to the report.