On April 19, a man from South Carolina pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his participation in the January 6 Capitol riot.
Tyler Bradley Dykes, a 26-year-old resident of Bluffton, South Carolina, has admitted to two felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia, Dykes also acknowledged that his utilization of a police riot shield was considered a dangerous weapon.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dykes was one of the individuals who were in the vicinity of the forefront of the mob. They pushed a line of Capitol police officers towards the east entrance, ultimately breaching the Capitol building.
According to authorities, Dykes forcefully made his way to the front of the mob, where he seized an officer’s riot shield, leaving the officer exposed to pepper spray from the rest of the rioters.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he persistently wielded the shield even after the mob had breached the Capitol building, using it to obstruct and intimidate police officers.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dykes had subscribed to multiple Telegram groups that claimed the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. These groups also anticipated the events that would unfold on January 6th.
According to the office, Dykes was associated with a Telegram group that advocated for the violent overthrow of the government. The group even referenced Adolf Hitler and other extremist ideologies.
Dyke is set to appear for his sentencing hearing on July 19th.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, over 1,387 individuals have been arrested and close to 500 have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement in connection with the events of January 6th.
