WASHINGTON — A Pennsylvania man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He and others helped to disrupt a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to count the electoral votes of the 2020 presidential election.
Troy Spackman, 40, of West York, Pa., is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers. In addition to the felonies, Spackman is charged with misdemeanor offenses of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Spackman was arrested today in Harrisburg and will make his initial appearance in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
According to court documents, Spackman traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and afterward walked toward the U.S. Capitol building and then to the side of the building with the inauguration scaffolding. Spackman was identified by federal investigators in multiple videos concerning the events of that day, wearing a black jacket and dark-colored hat with a “dk” logo. In one such video, Spackman is seen holding a cell phone above his head in his right hand and in his left hand holding two canisters of Oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray. Court documents say that the OC spray carried by Spackman appears to be Combined Tactical Systems MK-9 OC spray, a less-than-lethal product intended to cause temporary pain and injury that can, in rare instances and if used incorrectly, lead to property damage, serious bodily injury, or death.
In another open-source video taken at the Capitol building, Spackman appears to point a canister of OC spray toward uniformed officers from an elevated position. In the video, Spackman’s right arm is extended toward the officers, holding a canister of OC spray, and appears to have a second canister of OC spray in his left rear pocket. In the video, a mist of spray comes from the canister, consistent with the deployment of OC spray. Investigators then reviewed body-worn camera footage depicting Spackman with his right arm extended, deploying the OC spray at approximately 2:31 p.m.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office’s Capital Area Resident Agency and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fib.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
