A former Army Special Forces soldier was arrested Wednesday and charged with various offenses related to his assaults on Capitol police officers during the Jan. 6 riot, including throwing a flagpole. against an officer.
Jeffrey McKellop is accused of throwing a flagpole with the sharp end forward, as if it were a spear, according to the FBI complaint against McKellop filed by an FBI special agent and reported by Politico.
The complaint says the attack caused a laceration to the agent’s face.
The FBI claims McKellop assaulted three additional agents, according to the 27-page complaint.
According to a witness who helped him identify him, McKellop appeared with the same helmet and ballistic vest on the same day of the insurrection he was deployed in a combat zone in 2018. His identity was confirmed through witnesses. additional and driving license, the complaint says.
McKellop is one of more than 30 military veterans accused of his alleged roles in the riot, but is the first of the special operations, the Washington Post reported. He served in the Army for 22 years, including enlistment from 1993 to 2010, during which time he served as a Special Forces mechanic and communications sergeant, the Post reported.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin last month he stepped up military efforts to curb extremism in the ranks after reporting that almost one in five participants accused in connection with the riot has some sort of military link.
Greg Hunter and Seth Peritz, who are believed to be McKellop’s lawyers, did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
Update: 21:47