Man Arrested in Mid-Hudson Region Accused of Assaulting D.C. Cop

A man was found in the region accused of the "savage beating" of a cop during the breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Patrick Edward McCaughey III, 23, of Ridgefield, C.T., was arrested on Tuesday in Westchester County for allegedly assaulting an officer during the breach of the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6.

“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. McCaughey’s alleged actions were an assault on Officer Hodges, the Capitol, and the rule of law itself.”

The Connecticut man was charged Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees; civil disorder; entering restricted building or grounds; and violent entry or disorderly conduct. He was presented in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday, before appearing in Washington D.C.

“Even after days of seeing so many shocking and horrific scenes from the siege on the U.S. Capitol, 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.”

A video posted to YouTube captured a large group of rioters attempting to break through the line of uniformed law enforcement officers who were in place to prevent rioters from entering the lower west terrace door of the U.S. Capitol.

As alleged in the charging documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, in the front line of rioters, an individual, who has subsequently been identified as McCaughey can be seen using a clear police riot shield to physically push against the left side of an officer’s body.

The officer was pinned between the clear police riot shield being held by McCaughey and the lower west terrace door, officials say. The officer appeared to be loudly crying out in pain.

As the officer was being pinned to the door by McCaughey, a separate rioter was violently ripping off the officer’s gas mask, exposing the officer’s bloodied mouth, the indictment states.

As McCaughey was using the riot shield to push against the officer, numerous other rioters behind and around McCaughey appeared to add to the weight against the officer, officials say.