A South Carolina man pleaded guilty to charges connected to his participation in the January 6 Capitol riot.
Tyler Bradley Dykes, 26, of Bluffton, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to two felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and admitted that his use of a police riot shield constituted a dangerous weapon, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Dykes was among those toward the front of the mob who pushed a line of Capitol police officers to the east entrance before breaking into the Capitol building.
Dykes then pushed his way to the front of the throng, grabbed an officer’s riot shield, and violently removed it, leaving the officer susceptible to pepper spray from the other rioters, according to officials.
After the mob broke inside the Capitol building, he proceeded to wield the shield to “obstruct and intimidate” police officers, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office claims that Dykes subscribed to various Telegram groups where he made claims about the alleged theft of Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential election and made predictions about events on January 6.
According to the office, one Telegram group in which Dykes participated advocated for the violent overthrow of the government, referencing Adolf Hitler, among other things.
The date of Dyke’s sentencing hearing is July 19.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, more than 1,387 people have been arrested, and over 500 have been charged with assaulting or hindering police officers in connection with Jan. 6.
