Florida man pleads guilty to assaulting officers during Jan. 6 Capitol breach

A 54-year-old Florida man pleaded guilty for his involvement in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Robert Scott Palmer, of Largo and known online as Florida Flag Jacket, pleaded guilty Monday for assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On Jan. 6 at around 5 p.m. Palmer was standing near the archway leading from the lower west terrace to the Capitol where he threw a wooden plank at U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department officers, the Department of Justice said.

Palmer was also seen under the archway 20 minutes later spraying officers with a fire extinguisher and throwing it at them after it was empty, the DOJ said.

No specific injuries were cited to have been caused by Palmer, but experts determined the weight of the objects and the force Palmer applied in throwing them “were capable of inflicting serious bodily injury,” the DOJ said. Palmer was arrested in March, and will have a sentencing hearing on Dec. 17. He stands to face a maximum penalty up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the DOJ said.

Palmer was identified by the FBI with help from a group of civilian cyber sleuths known as the sedition hunters, according to a report by the Huffington Post. Palmer told the Post in a phone call that he was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 but hung up the phone when asked about the fire extinguisher.

According to a Huffington Post reporter, Palmer was hosting a garage sale prior to his Monday hearing. A Twitter user posted about the sale and claimed Palmer was losing his home.

Since Jan. 6 more than 600 individuals have been arrested throughout the country associated with breaching the Capitol — about 185 individuals were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

More than 120 defendants have pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial of federal crimes including rioting, arson and conspiracy, according to the Associated Press. More than 70 defendants sentenced already have received an average of 27 months behind bars and at least 10 received prison terms of five years or more, the AP reported.

Investigations into the Jan. 6 riot is still underway.