A Connecticut man has been arrested and charged for pinning a Capitol police officer against a doorway with a riot shield during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday.
During the riot, Patrick McCaughey used a clear police riot shield to push against Officer Daniel Hodges, who then became pinned between the shield and the lower west terrace door as he cried out in pain, according to the DOJ.
NBC News: The FBI has arrested and charged Patrick Edward McCaughey in NY and charged him with assault on a police officer and other charges related to the Capitol riot.
He’s accused of squeezing Officer Hodges with a riot shield in the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/hXAKkgRDoI
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) January 20, 2021
D.C. Police Officer Daniel Hodges’ bravery has gone viral with a video of him being crushed against a door during the U.S. Capitol riot.
“If it wasn’t my job, I would have done that for free,” Hodges said. https://t.co/bJJb94kD6K pic.twitter.com/cNsaXsTMXR
— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) January 15, 2021
McCaughey was charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees; civil disorder; entering restricted building or grounds; and violent entry or disorderly conduct, according to the DOJ. (RELATED: Rioter Arrested After Sending Selfie Storming Capitol To Ex-Girlfriend’s Brother Who Is A Federal Agent)
“The vicious attack on Officer Hodges was abhorrent and quintessentially un-American,” Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin said. “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.”
“The savage beating of D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Hodges stands out for the perpetrator’s blatant disregard for human life,” Assistant Director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Steven M. D’Antuono said. “Patrick McCaughey’s actions were violent, barbaric, and completely out of control. 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 said there were three times throughout the riot when he thought he would be killed, including getting pinned to the door, according to WJLA.
“That was one of the three times that day where I thought: Well, this might be it,” Hodges said. “This might be the end for me.”
“We were battling, you know, tooth and nail for our lives,” Hodges continued. “We held the line in that doorway, and I guess I got pinned through the small back-and-forth we had fighting for, you know, every inch. And I had my arms pinned at that point, I wasn’t able to defend myself.”