Ridgefield man charged with beating cop in D.C. riot.
WASHINGTON — A Connecticut man accused of a “barbaric” attack on a police officer during the breach of the U.S. Capitol grounds two weeks ago has been arrested, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Patrick Edward McCaughey III, of Ridgefield, was charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officer or employees, civil disorder, entering restricted building or grounds, and violent entry or disorderly conduct.
The charges stemmed from his alleged role in what was described as a violent assault on an officer protecting the Capitol from a group of President Donald Trump supporters who stormed the building on Jan.
6 in protest of the presidential election results.
Dozens of protesters have since been charged for their alleged crimes that day, including at least two other Connecticut residents, who were taken into custody outside the building on Jan.
6.
McCaughey, who was arrested in Westchester County, appeared Wednesday in federal court in White Plains, N.Y.
McCaughey’s Stamford criminal defense Mark Sherman said the judge denied his client bond and ordered him detained. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled for next month as the case is moved to federal court in D.C., Sherman said.
"It was noted in court that he did try to offer assistance to the injured officer," Sherman said.
However, Steven M. D’Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, said “the savage beating” on D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges showed McCaughey’s “blatant disregard for human life.”
“The vicious attack on Officer Hodges was abhorrent and quintessentially un-American,” Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin said in a statement. “It is my pledge that anyone involved in violent attacks on law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. McCaughey’s alleged actions were an assault on Officer Hodges, the Capitol, and the rule of law itself.”
In a Jan. 15 news release, the Metropolitan police released a be-on-the-lookout bulletin with a suspect image and information about the attack on Hodges.
The same day police shared images of the suspect, an individual contacted law enforcement and identified the suspect as McCaughey, the arrest warrant affidavit said. The document said the person reported “having known McCaughey since they were children.”
The person, who last saw McCaughey about a year ago, said they heard from mutual friends that McCaughey had gone to the Capitol on Jan. 6.
A video posted to YouTube captured a large group of rioters trying to break through a line of law enforcement officers during the insurrection at the Capitol, officials said. The video showed an individual, later identified as McCaughey, allegedly using a clear police riot shield to push Hodges, officials said. Video that has been widely aired showed the officer pinned between the shield and a door. Officials said Hodges was “loudly crying out in pain.”
As McCaughey had Hodges pinned, officials said, another rioter “violently” ripped Hodges’ gas mask off, exposing the officer’s bloodied mouth. Authorities said several other rioters behind and around McCaughey appeared to add more pressure against Hodges.
“Patrick McCaughey’s actions were violent, barbaric, and completely out of control,” D’Antuono said. “The FBI will relentlessly pursue individuals who took part in this activity and we will continue our unwavering commitment to ensure all those responsible for assaults on law enforcement officers are brought to justice.”
Hodges has spoken to the media about the attack and said one person tried to gouge his eye out.
In a YouTube video, described throughout the affidavit, McCaughey can be seen pushing the clear police riot shield up against Hodges and repeatedly telling the officer to “go home,” the court document said.
About two minutes later, someone can be heard on the video saying in reference to Hodges, “this guy is pretty hurt, let him back, let him back,” the affidavit said. The document said it’s not clear if McCaughey was the one who said it.
Soon after, McCaughey “touches Officer Hodges helmet and lowers Officer Hodges’ helmet’s shield,” the document said. Seconds later, the affidavit said, McCaughey appears to say, “let this guy through, he’s hurt, he’s hurt, let him back,” while pointing to Hodges. The officer behind Hodges appears to nod, then apparently waves in help.
The person who called police to identify the suspect provided investigators with four photos and a short video sent by McCaughey to mutual friends, the affidavit said.
One photo was a selfie apparently taken on the scaffolding of the west front of the U.S. Capitol, the affidavit said.
“I’m not doing anything,” McCaughey can be heard saying on a video prior to his alleged attack on Hodges. “I’m just a regular person like everybody else here.”
When the person recording the video asked McCaughey his name and where he was from, the Ridgefield resident initially hesitated to answer and then said it wasn’t important, according to the affidavit.
When the camera pans away, a voice believed to be McCaughey says “Connecticut, Connecticut,” the affidavit said. The affidavit stated McCaughey has a Ridgefield address listed with the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.
Although the individual referred to in the affidavit said they were “100 percent certain” the suspect authorities were looking for was McCaughey, there were other tipsters mentioned in a footnote of the document who tried to help police.
The affidavit said four other citizens submitted tips that identified four different individuals as the person in the BOLO. Investigators confirmed none of those were the suspect they were looking for, the document said.
Two anonymous tips referenced a “McCoughey,” one anonymous tipster identified the individual as Ridgefield resident Patrick McCoughey and another anonymous tipster from Ridgefield identified him as Patrick McCoy, the affidavit said.
A phone message left at the number for McCaughey’s listed address in Ridgefield was not returned on Wednesday.