A Dallas resident who allegedly used a crutch to assault police officers while storming the U.S. Capitol last month will appear in court Friday, the FBI said.
Luke, 41, surrendered to Dallas authorities Thursday.
Coffee, a professional actor, is at least the ninth person in North Texas to be arrested during the January 6 riot following a protest by former President Donald Trump. This happened when Congress ratified the presidential election results.
According to a criminal complaint, Coffee was wearing a brown hat, camouflage clothing and a blue bandana, and he allegedly stretched a crutch when he tried to infiltrate the US capital on January 6.
Coffee photos carried on a comrade’s camera and security cameras were taken as evidence in the case.
US Department of Justice The FBI took this photo taken from free video as evidence as part of a criminal charge against Luke Coffee.
According to the criminal charge, Coffee stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and walked up the stairs to the entrance to the Lower Terrace and turned to the crowd to make several statements.
The complaint alleges that Coffee, after entering the access road, was involved in an altercation with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol police officers.
The indictment shows images of the cameras worn by the officers.
According to the complaint, Coffee pulled a crutch from the top of the stairs that he was holding over his head as he faced the crowd.
US Department of Justice The FBI took this photo taken from free video as evidence as part of a criminal charge against Luke Coffee.
Coffee uses the crutch to push through the line of MPD and USCP officers at the Capitol building.
According to the complaint, Coffee sued the officers while holding the crutch in a more aggressive manner.
US Department of Justice The FBI took this photo from a video carried on a comrade’s camera as evidence as part of a criminal charge against Luke Coffee.
The complaint alleges that, based on footage from officers’ cameras worn by the body, “Coffee” was intended to use the crutch further as a blunt object weapon through the crutch directly to the officer’s upper chest / head area instead. “
US Department of Justice The FBI took this photo from a video carried on a comrade’s camera as evidence as part of a criminal charge against Luke Coffee.
A witness, who told investigators that they met coffee in the summer of 2020, told investigators that they recognized coffee in videos of the riots at the Capitol building that were posted on social media and YouTube. The witness told investigators they had previously seen in a video on social media discussing various conspiracy theories.
According to the criminal complaint, FBI agents interviewed Coffee on January 13, during which Coffee admitted that he was at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and agents reported that he was wearing a brown hat and a crutch over his head. held. while at the Capitol.
Coffee told agents he “had no physical confrontation with police in the Capitol building,” according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, Coffee told agents that he left Dallas in a truck on Jan. 4 and arrived in Washington DC on the evening of Jan. 5. He said he “cannot remember where he lived in Washington DC”, the complaint alleged.
Coffee let agents know he was returning to Dallas on Jan. 7 or later.
According to the complaint, the FBI Washington Field Office published several “Seeking Information” posters with photos of individuals who took part in the riot at the Capitol building.
After the FBI published one of these posters on January 16, the FBI received several tips to identify one of the people suggested as Luke Coffee.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI identified Luke Coffee using photos and videos taken on social media, the driver’s license of Coffee, and photos and videos taken on January 6, on the officer’s cameras and security cameras at the U.S. Capitol. .
Coffee is expected to face charges of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon, interfering with law enforcement officers during civil disorder, obstructing an official process, illegal access on restricted grounds and disorderly conduct in the capital.
According to the George Washington University program for extremism, federal charges were filed on February 26 against more than 254 people involved in the riot, including North Texans Garret Miller, of Richardson; 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.