WASHINGTON (AP) — An upstate New York man has pleaded guilty to stealing a tear gas canister from a police officer during the chaotic standoff with officers guarding the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
Federal prosecutors said Friday that Troy Weeks, 38, was part of a group that tried to run over police officers who were blocking one of the entrances to the building when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol grounds in protest of Trump’s defeat in the elections.
The man pleaded guilty to the serious crimes of disorderly conduct and assault, and resisting or obstructing an officer, as well as other related misdemeanors. His lawyers have not responded to an emailed request for comment.
On January 6, 2021, Weeks pushed his way through a crowd to a line of police officers stationed at the entrance to the Capitol and reached through a broken window to grab an officer’s tear gas canister, authorities said. The officer was unable to take the can from Weeks when he reached out the window, according to court documents.
Weeks then walked through a set of doors and pushed past the line of police officers, holding on to one of their shields until one of them sprayed him with tear gas, authorities said. He eventually left the entrance, but returned about 40 minutes later with other rioters to attack the line of police again.
Weeks remained on the Capitol grounds after his clash with police, and was later recorded on a body camera asking police officers why they were not “protecting the ballots,” according to court documents.
Law enforcement used images from the Capitol and compared them to an Instagram photo to identify Weeks, according to court records. Authorities traveled to his hometown of Greenville, in upstate New York, to search for a relative, his landlord and a co-worker, eventually obtaining bank records and a video of Weeks at an ATM to identify him. .
The U.S. Department of Justice said more than 1,400 people have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot and its investigations are still ongoing. Weeks’ sentencing is scheduled for November.
