Man facing charges in Jan. 6 riot, accused of assaulting federal officer
DALLAS — Federal authorities arrested a Texas man — an alleged member of the Proud Boys — in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
The FBI arrested 46-yearold Steve Saxiones, of Cedar Hill, on Wednesday, officials with the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington D.C., said in a news release. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
He is facing two felony charges — obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and assault on a federal officer — along with several other misdemeanors in connection with his alleged actions at the Capitol, according to the attorney’s office.
Around 1:30 p.m. on
Jan. 6, 2021, officers on the Capitol grounds were trying to keep a crowd from moving toward the Capitol building and established a police line with bike rack barricades, according to court documents.
People in the crowd were pushing and shoving against the police line and attempting to move the barricades. A man, later identified as Saxiones, was part of a group pushing against the bike rack, and he was seen making efforts to push the barricades and throw his body weight into the police line, according to a criminal complaint.
Authorities allege Saxiones moved to the end of a barricade, lunged and wrapped his arms around an officer. In an interview, the officer said it felt like the man was “executing a wrestling move,” and trying to take her to the ground, the complaint says.
The incident was captured on surveillance and bodyworn camera footage, the document says.
Saxiones was detained and released that day without being charged, the complaint said, adding that based on information from police, this may have stemmed from the officer who made the initial arrest rejoining efforts to protect the Capitol building.
The complaint alleges Saxiones is a member of the Proud Boys organization. Leading up to the Capitol riot, the court document says Saxiones was in an instant messaging group discussion with other members of the Proud
Boys and a chapter referred to as the Ministry of
Self Defense, or MOSD, where members talked about travel arrangements to Washington and the potential for violence at the Capitol.
According to the complaint, Saxiones wrote in a message “What’s the deal with flying with body armor? Does TSA f--- with you?”
Saxiones wrote about concealing his appearance, including a photograph of himself wearing a black face covering, the document says. Authorities also alleged he wrote messages about communications equipment, including, “Another question do y’all use comms like Beaoufang’s or Nah?” and “Yeah I was thinking cell service would either get blocked or overwhelmed.”