A former military soldier was arrested Wednesday and charged with several crimes related to his assaults on Capitol police officers during the January 6 riot, including a flagpole allegedly.
Jeffrey McKellop is accused of throwing a flagpole with the sharp point forward, as if it were a spear, according to the FBI complaint against McKellop filed by a special agent of the FBI and reported by Politico.
According to the complaint, the attack resulted in a tear of the officer’s face.
According to the FBI, McKellop assaulted three additional officers following the 27-page complaint.
According to a witness who helped identify him, McKellop was on the same day he wore the same helmet and ballistic jacket on the day of the uprising when he was deployed in a combat zone. His identity was further confirmed by additional witnesses and his driver’s license, the complaint reads.
McKellop is one of more than 30 military veterans charged with their alleged roles in the riot, but is the first of the special operations, reports The Washington Post. He served 22 years in the military, including an enlistment from 1993 to 2010, during which time he served as a mechanic and communications sergeant of the special forces, the Post reported.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last month, the army’s efforts to curb extremism in the ranks increased after reports that nearly one in five participants charged in connection with the riot has some sort of military ties.
Greg Hunter and Seth Peritz, apparently McKellop’s attorneys, did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
Updated: 9:47 PM