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FBI releases photos of men accused of beating cop in Capitol siege

Pro-Trump rioters breach the security perimeter and penetrate the U.S. Capitol to protest against the Electoral College vote count to certify President-elect Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI
Pro-Trump rioters breach the security perimeter and penetrate the U.S. Capitol to protest against the Electoral College vote count to certify President-elect Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The FBI on Sunday released photographs of seven suspects, all men, wanted for assaulting a police officer during a siege on the U.S. Capitol earlier this month as federal prosecutors announced the arrests of two men who stormed the building.

In a statement, the FBI said the seven men are accused of breaching the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 and assaulting D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Mike Fanone.

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Fanone suffered a mild heart attack during the assault when he was "repeatedly beaten & tased by his attackers," the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department said.

Federal authorities have asked the public for help in identifying hundreds of individuals who have been accused for storming the Capitol building to stop the joint session of Congress from certifying the presidential election win of President-elect Joe Biden.

On Sunday, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., announced the arrest of Chad Barrett Jones, 42, of Coxs Creek, Ky., a day prior on several charges in connection to the Capitol breach, including one count of assault on a federal officer.

According the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Jones is accused of breaching the U.S. Capitol building and of attempting to shatter glass panels of a door to the Speaker's Lobby moments before Ashli Babbitt, a former U.S. Air Force member, was shot and killed by Capitol Police.

Authorities accuse Jones of being the man seen wearing a red hooded jacket and a gray skull cap in video taken of the event. In the footage, the man in the red jacket is seen amid a crowd by the door striking its glass panel at least 10 times with a long wood flagpole. Witnesses told the FBI that Jones was standing near Babbitt when she was shot as she attempted to force her way into the Speaker's Lobby.

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D.C. federal prosecutors also announced Sunday the arrest of Couy Griffin, an Otero County, N.M., commissioner and the founder of Cowboys for Trump who posted videos to his Facebook page admitting to having participated in the Capitol siege.

A signed affidavit of facts states Griffin's arrest followed the FBI receiving a tip that the commissioner was present during the riot and had posted to his Facebook page videos indicating he intended to return to the Capitol on Wednesday for Biden's inauguration to "put the American flag on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk."

In the video, that has seen been taken down, Griffin is alleged to have said that he "climbed up on the top of the Capitol building ... and had a first row seat" for the attack, the affidavit said.

Griffin is also alleged to have spoken of his breach of the Capitol during an Otero County council meeting on Thursday and about his plans to return armed to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration ceremony.

"I am going to leave either tonight or tomorrow," he is quoted in the affidavit as having said during the meeting. "I've got a .357 Henry big boy rifle ... that I got in the trunk of my car and I've got a .357 single action revolver ... that I have underneath the front seat on my right side."

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At least three other people involved in the riot were arrested over the weekend with the FBI stating agents arrested Brandon Fellows of New York and the Justice Department announcing the detention and charges against cousins Cody Page Connell of Louisiana and Daniel Page Adams of Texas.

Federal prosecutors have so far arrested and charged more than 66 people who were involved in the Capitol attack.

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