A retired US special forces soldier faces several criminal charges for attacking several police officers during the Capitol rebellion, including launching a mast like a spear at another officer, officials said.
Jeffrey McKellop, 55, was arrested on Wednesday and is the last military veteran charged in the January 6 siege of the Capitol. In all, he faces six federal charges.
McKellop footage shows him in a crowd wearing military-style tactical gear, including a gas mask, body armor, and helmet. During a confrontation with a Washington DC police officer, he picked up a flagpole from the floor and pushed it into the policeman’s face, the FBI said.
He then reportedly threw the stick “similarly to a spear,” according to court documents.
The image shows McKellop assaulting a policeman with a flagpole, the FBI said.
(FBI)
The officer suffered a tear on his face, according to an FBI statement.
Moments earlier, Fisherville resident Va. Clashed with three other police officers who he allegedly assaulted. Authorities said he also threw a bottle in Washington DC, police and Capitol officers and tried to take a can of spray from another officer.
The police body’s cameras captured McKellop by involving himself violently with the authorities, the FBI said. At one point, he was captured holding a “thin blue line” flag. The image signals support for police officers.
The FBI said McKellop was seen holding a “thin blue line” flag.
(FBI)
The FBI said it received tips, including from someone who claimed to have served in the Army with McKellop from 2002 to 2016, the FBI said. The informant stated that McKellop was currently working as a military contractor and that they last saw him abroad in 2018.
The Washington Post reported that McKellop served 22 years in the Army. A second enlistment from 1993 to 2010, including a time as a mechanic and Special Forces communications sergeant. He served missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the report said.
The FBI said Jeffrey McKellop grabbed the arm of a policeman during the January 6 siege of the Capitol in Washington DC
(FBI)
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The FBI has already arrested more than 300 people who allegedly participated in the riot and dozens have been accused of assaulting police officers. Two men were indicted for the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who later died from injuries he sustained during the riot.
On Thursday, the FBI released 10 videos showing “the most blatant attacks on the police during the riot.