A retired Pennsylvania firefighter is facing federal charges after he allegedly injured a Capitol police officer by throwing a fire extinguisher as Trump supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, according to ABC News and the Wall Street Journal.
Robert Sanford of Chester, Pennsylvania — a suburb of Philadelphia — faces charges of using a deadly weapon in a restricted area, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and obstructing law enforcement.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the charge of using a deadly weapon in a restricted area reportedly carries a potential 10-year-prison sentence.
The Journal reports that Sanford threw the extinguisher toward the police officer in the Capitol building's western wing at about 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6. The newspaper reports that the extinguisher hit three officers in the head, including one who was not wearing a helmet.
According to ABC News, the incident was caught on video.
One of the officers who was hit with the extinguisher was evaluated at a local hospital and has since been cleared for duty.
The incident involving Sanford is separate from the case of Officer Brian Sicknick, a Capitol police officer who was struck with a fire extinguisher and later died of his injuries.
