A Colorado geophysicist allegedly dragged a police officer down the stairs during the January 6 Capitol rebellion – and then bought a plane ticket to Switzerland and attempted suicide in Westchester County days after the siege, it was revealed in court on Friday .
Jeffrey Sabol, 51, was detained without bail on his first appearance at White Plains federal court, where a judge found the evidence against him “very disturbing and deeply disturbing”.
“This conduct is beyond the limit,” said Judge Andrew Krause.
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Sabol, who grew up in upstate New York, was reportedly caught on video amid the frantic Capitol crowd, dragging a police officer down a flight of stairs during the riot. The police officer was beaten by the crowd of Trump supporters, including a rowdy with an American flag, a prosecutor said in court.
The images also show Sabol holding a police baton against a policeman’s neck during the siege, Attorney General Ben Gianforte said in the court case on Friday.
Prosecutors believe Sabol took another manager’s club out of the mess, which could result in additional charges against him.
Sabol admitted to clashing with a policeman in the riot, but said he was in a “tantrum,” said Gianforte.
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After the rebellion, Sabol traveled to the New York City area, where he thought of fleeing the country and attempting suicide, prosecutors claim.
At some point, while in Westchester County after the riot, he bought a plane ticket to Zurich, Switzerland, a country not extradited to the United States, Gianforte said.
“He really tried to flee the country,” he said. “He buys a ticket to a place where he thinks he won’t be sent home to face the music.”
Supporters of Donald Trump try to break a police barrier at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.AP / Julio Cortez
He was arrested by the FBI at Westchester County Medical Center on Friday morning, where he was recovering from his suicide attempt.
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The public defender who represented Sabol at the hearing highlighted his work and ties with the community in an attempt to secure his release on bail.
Lawyer Jason Ser argued that Sabol is a talented geophysicist who lived for many years in Colorado after moving to New York State.
Sabol lives with his partner, who works in a primary school, and has three teenage children, Ser said.