A retired NYPD officer who had been assigned for a time to work perimeter security at City Hall and at Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence, has been accused of using a pipe to attack a U.S. Capitol officer during the Jan. 6 siege, law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case told News 4 Tuesday.
Thomas Webster
surrendered to the FBI's Hudson Valley office Monday to face charges in the ongoing investigation. A day later in White Plains federal court, prosecutors said the former U.S. Marine attacked a Capitol police officer with an aluminum pole while holding a Marine Corps flag. Webster then allegedly ripped off a mask and caused the officer to choke, proseuctors said.
Webster was seen in body camera footage carrying a large metal flagpole with a red U.S. Marines flag attached to it, according to a criminal complaint. It alleges that Webster berated a Capitol police officer with a curse-laden diatribe, as he "aggressively" shoved a metal barricade into the officer and armed himself with the metal rod.
The alleged rioter then brings the flagpole above his head and swings it downward, striking the metal barrier right in front of the officer, the complaint reads. Webster then attempted to attack the officer by lunging toward him with the flagpole, striking the cop several times, according to the criminal complaint.
The cop is eventually able to wrestle the pole away from Webster, and begins retreating further behind the barricades. But that doesn't stop the attack, the papers allege, as Webster breaks through the barriers and charges right at the officer with "clenched fists." He lunges again at the law enforcement officer and tackles him to the ground, where Webster allegedly attacks him for 10 seconds, the complaint reads.
Different angles on social media allegedly show Webster pinning the officer to the ground and straddling him while he tries to forcefully remove the face shield and gas mask. The officer later said that the helmet stayed on due to the chin strap, which began to choke him during part of the alleged assault, according to the criminal complaint.
Webster is later seen in a video that was posted to YouTube on a staircase leading to the Capitol building, the complaint says, saying into the camera "Send more patriots. We need some help."
Charging documents