WASHINGTON (AP) — A New York state man has pleaded guilty to charges that he snatched a police officer’s can of pepper spray during a chaotic encounter with officers guarding the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
Federal prosecutors said Friday that 38-year-old Troy Weeks was among a group that tried to overwhelm officers blocking access to the building as supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol grounds to protest Trump’s election loss.
He has pleaded guilty to crimes of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or obstructing an officer, as well as a handful of related crimes. His attorneys did not immediately return an emailed request for comment.
On Jan. 6, Weeks pushed his way through a crowd toward a line of police officers stationed at the entrance to the Capitol. He reached through a broken window to grab a can of pepper spray from an officer, authorities said. According to court documents, the officer was able to retrieve the can from Weeks as he pulled his arm through the window.
Weeks then pushed past a set of doors and pushed into the line of officers, grabbing one of their shields before an officer pepper-sprayed him, authorities said. He eventually left the entrance, but returned about 40 minutes later with other rioters to push against the police line again.
Weeks remained on the Capitol grounds after his clash with police, and was later recorded on a body camera asking officers why they “failed to protect the ballots,” according to court documents.
Law enforcement officials used images of the Capitol and linked them to a photo on Instagram to identify Weeks, court records show. Authorities then traveled to his hometown of Greenville, New York, to find a family member, landlord and co-worker, eventually obtaining bank records and a video of Weeks at an ATM to further identify him.
The U.S. Department of Justice said more than 1,400 people have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot, with their investigation ongoing. Weeks will be sentenced in November.
