A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to assaulting US Capitol Police officers with a weapon during the Jan. 6 attack, including one who later died.
(Bloomberg) — A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to assaulting US Capitol Police officers with a weapon during the Jan. 6 attack, including one who later died.
Julian Khater admitted deploying pepper spray that struck several officers, including Officer Brian Sicknick, in the face as they tried to stop the crowd outside the Capitol from moving closer to the building. Sicknick died the next day.
Khater and his codefendant George Tanios were not charged in connection with Sicknick’s death, and prosecutors have been careful to to avoid drawing a link in court.
The chief medical examiner in Washington determined Sicknick died of natural causes, having suffered strokes caused by a blood clot, but he also told the Washington Post that “‘all that transpired played a role in his condition.”
Khater could face 6 1/2 years to 8 years in prison, according to an estimated sentencing range included in his plea agreement. He agreed to pay $2,000 in restitution — the standard amount for felony pleas in Jan. 6 cases — plus an unspecified amount to victims who were injured.
Khater’s deal with federal prosecutors came just over a month after Tanios pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges for participating in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Tanios, who wasn’t accused of deploying any weapons against police, avoided felony counts he originally faced with Khater, including that the two conspired to assault Sicknick.
The Justice Department has said that approximately 140 police officers were assaulted at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. Hundreds of rioters have been charged with violence against officers, with some deploying pepper spray and other chemicals.
The US attorney’s office previously released video clips showing the moment the man they identified as Khater deployed the spray and Sicknick was struck. The government also disclosed a video of the crowd where Khater is heard telling Tanios to give him the bear spray canister.
Tanios is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 6 and Khater is to appear the following week on Dec. 13. The case is before US District Judge Thomas Hogan.
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