Two men plead guilty to assaulting law enforcement during US Capitol riot

Two male defendants on Friday pleaded guilty in federal court for attacking law enforcement officers during the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, the Justice Department announced on Friday.

"A Washington State man and New Jersey man each pleaded guilty today to assaulting Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers during the breach of the US Capitol on January 6," the Justice Department said in a press release.

The breach occurred during a joint session of the US Congress that was counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election, the release noted. The defendants are the first two of more than 170 charged to plead guilty to felony charges of assault on a police officer in the investigation, it said.

"According to court documents, Devlyn Thompson, 28, of Seattle, Washington, was among a crowd of individuals on the lower west terrace who were pushing against and assaulting MPD and US Capitol Police (USCP) officers in the tunnel leading into the Capitol," the release said.

Scott Kevin Fairlamb, 44, of Stockholm, New Jersey, climbed the scaffolding on the west terrace of the Capitol where he recorded and posted a video to Instagram in which he said they are not leaving. He also admitted to being part of a large crowd that pushed through a line of police officers and metal barricades, the release added. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )