Who is Troy E Sargent? FBI nabs Massachusetts man who punched Capitol cops and took selfies during riots
A Massachusetts man who allegedly hit a police officer and another person in the crowd during the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, has now been arrested, the FBI announced on Tuesday, March 9. Troy E Sargent, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is the seventh person arrested by FBI’s Boston Division and will be charged in connection with the incident.
Sargent faces six counts including forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing or impeding federal officers, according to an FBI arrest affidavit. In the police bodycam video, Sargent allegedly "approaches the front of the crowd of rioters, confronts the line of police officers attempting to hold the crowd back, and physically engages with one of the officers," according to the affidavit. Sargent can be seen making physical contact with one or more law-enforcement officers.
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Investigators recognized Sargent after witnesses sent them social media posts that appeared to place him at the scene, including a selfie with riot officers in the background and a receipt for a stay at Hyatt Place hotel in Washington, DC. Sargent is also accused of hurling punches at the police officers who were trying to deal with the angry mob of former president Donald Trump's supporters. According to a video caught on the camera, Sargent can be seen allegedly striking one person in the crowd.
According to the task force review led by retired Army Lt Gen Russel Honoré, US Capitol Police were "understaffed" and "insufficiently equipped" to handle the riot. Trump’s relentless efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 election took a dangerous turn on January 6, 2021, when an armed and angry mob of his supporters stormed Capitol Hill and clashed with police just as Congress convened to validate Joe Biden’s presidential win.
The mob managed to get past the guards and enter the Senate chamber, where just moments earlier the election results were being certified. Five people lost their lives in the riots.