April 19 (UPI) — A South Carolina man on Friday pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Tyler Bradley Dykes, 26, of Bluffton, S.C., pleaded guilty to two felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and agreed his use of a police riot shield constituted a dangerous weapon, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia.
Dykes was among the people near the front of the mob that pushed a line of Capitol police officers to the east entrance before breaking into the Capitol building, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Dykes then pushed his way to the front of the mob, grabbed and officer’s riot shield and forcibly took it away, leaving the officer vulnerable to pepper spray from the other rioters, according to authorities.
He continued to use the shield once the mob had broken into the Capitol building, deploying it to “obstruct and intimidate” police officers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Leading up to the riot, Dykes subscribed to several Telegram groups that alleged the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump and anticipated events that would take place on Jan. 6, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The office said one Telegram group Dykes was a part of called for the violent overthrow of the government, quoting Adolf Hitler, among other things.
Dyke’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said more than 1,387 people have been arrested and nearly 500 have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement related to Jan. 6.