2 charged with assaulting police on Jan. 6
Pair accused of involvement in attack on Sicknick
WASHINGTON — Two men face charges in connection with the Jan. 6 assaults of Capitol Police officers, including Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who later died from his injuries.
Julian Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania, and George Tanios, 39, of West Virginia, were arrested Sunday on a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, the Justice Department announced.
Khater and Tanios were at the U.S. Capitol and video footage shows them working together to spray officers directly in the face and eyes, the Justice Department said.
Investigators found video that depicted Khater asking Tanios to “give me that bear (expletive),” the Justice Department said. Tanios replied, “Hold on, hold on, not yet, not yet ... it’s still early.”
Khater got a canister from Tanios’ backpack, walked through the crowd to within a few steps of the police perimeter, held his right arm up high in the air, and aimed the canister in the officers’ direction while moving his right arm from side to side, the Justice Department said.
Sicknick and two other officers, who were all standing within a few feet of Khater, reacted to being sprayed in the face, the Justice Department said. The officers retreated, bringing their hands to their faces and rushing to find water to wash out their eyes.
Khater and Tanios are each charged with one count of conspiracy to injure an officer; three counts of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon; one count of civil disorder; one count of obstructing or impeding an official proceeding; one count of physical violence on restricted grounds, while carrying dangerous weapon and resulting in significant bodily injury; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct, act of physical violence on Capitol grounds.
Capitol Police said Sicknick died from injuries sustained while “physically engaging with protesters” during the riots. Sicknick had served on the force since 2008.