A Dallas native who allegedly used a crutch to assault police officers while assaulting the U.S. Capitol last month is due to appear in court Friday, according to the FBI.
Luke Coffee, 41, surrendered to Dallas authorities Thursday.
Coffee, a professional actor, is at least the ninth person in North Texas to be arrested in the Jan. 6 riot after a rally by former President Donald Trump. It happened when Congress certified the results of the presidential election.
According to a criminal complaint, Coffee wore a brown hat, camouflage clothing and a blue bandana, and allegedly wielded a crutch while attempting to enter the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
Coffee photos recorded on camera carried by an agent’s body and security surveillance cameras were included in the criminal complaint as evidence of the case.
US Department of Justice The FBI introduced this photo taken from a video without sources in evidence as part of a criminal complaint against Luke Coffee.
According to the criminal complaint, while storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Coffee climbed the stairs to the entrance to the lower terrace and turned toward the crowd to make several statements.
The complaint alleges that, upon entering the entrance, Coffee was involved in an altercation with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol police officers.
Images from the cameras carried by the officers ’body show that Coffee is making physical contact with the officers, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, Coffee retrieved a crutch from the top of the stairs, which he grabbed over his head as he faced the crowd.
US Department of Justice The FBI introduced this photo taken from a video without sources in evidence as part of a criminal complaint against Luke Coffee.
The cafe then used the crutch to pass through the MPD and USCP line of officers in the Capitol building.
According to the complaint, Coffee charged against the officers while “holding the crutch in a more aggressive manner.”
US Department of Justice The FBI introduced this photo taken from a video recorded on camera carried by an agent’s body as part of a criminal complaint against Luke Coffee
The complaint alleges that, based on the images from the cameras carried by the officers’ bodies, Coffee, “intended to further use the crutch as a blunt object by positioning the crutch directly toward the top of the chest / head of agent “.
US Department of Justice The FBI introduced this photo taken from a video recorded on camera carried by an agent’s body as part of a criminal complaint against Luke Coffee.
A witness, who informed investigators who met Coffee in the summer of 2020, told investigators that they recognized coffee in the riot videos in the Capitol building that were posted on social media and YouTube. The witness told investigators they had previously seen Coffee in a social media video discussing various conspiracy theories, according to the complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, FBI agents conducted an interview with Coffee on January 13, during which Coffee admitted that he was present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and informed officers that he was wearing a brown hat and that he had a crutch on his head. while at the Capitol.
Coffee told officers he “did not engage in any physical confrontation with police while he was in the Capitol building,” according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, Coffee told officers he left Dallas in a truck on Jan. 4 and arrived in Washington DC on the night of Jan. 5. He stated that he “did not remember where he resided while in Washington DC,” he complained.
Coffee informed officers that he returned to Dallas on Jan. 7 approximately.
The complaint states that the FBI office in Washington posted several “Looking for Information” posters with photographs of people who participated in the riot in the Capitol building.
After posting one of these posters on Jan. 16, the FBI received several tips to identify one of the people who appeared as Luke Coffee, according to the complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI identified Luke Coffee with images and videos posted on social media, Coffee’s driver’s license and images and videos recorded on cameras carried by the officer’s body and security surveillance cameras. at the United States Capitol on January 6th.
Coffee is expected to face charges of assaulting a federal police officer with a dangerous weapon, interference with the law enforcement officer during civil unrest, obstruction of an official procedure, entry illegal for restricted reasons and disorderly conduct on the grounds of the capitol.
As of Feb. 26, according to the George Washington University Extremism Program, federal charges have been filed against more than 254 people associated with the riot, including Richardson’s North Garret Miller jeans; Larry Rendall Brock, of Grapevine; Nolan Cooke, of Savoy; Jennifer Leigh Ryan, of Frisco; Guy Wesley Reffitt, of Wylie; Troy Anthony Smocks, of Dallas; Nicholas DeCarlo, of Burleson; Daniel Goodwyn of Corinth; Jason Hyland, of McKinney, Katherine Schwab and now Luke Coffee.