The former Boston cop accused of assaulting a U.S. Capitol police officer during the Jan. 6 riot was arraigned in a D.C. court on Thursday after he was arrested last month.
Joseph Fisher, 52, of Plymouth, is facing federal charges after he allegedly entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, pushed a chair into a Capitol police officer, and “engaged in a physical altercation” with the officer.
Fisher, a former Boston police officer, had his initial appearance in D.C. federal court on Thursday. He was released after agreeing to certain conditions, including participating in a mental health treatment program and undergoing drug testing.
He’s not allowed to have a firearm, but that condition does not apply to his wife who’s a Boston cop.
Also, he’s required to report any incidents with law enforcement, but the feds said the former cop does not have to report his social interactions with friends who are officers.
“I do,” Fisher said about following the release conditions.
A court-appointed counsel was approved to represent Fisher after the judge reviewed his financial information.
The Capitol rioters who backed former President Donald Trump disrupted a session of Congress as the senators and representatives counted the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election. The Capitol breach turned deadly.
The FBI last month arrested Fisher at his Plymouth home on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer and civil disorder during the breach of the Capitol.
Fisher allegedly entered the U.S. Capitol at 2:24 p.m. on Jan. 6 through the Senate Wing Door on the North side of the U.S. Capitol. Then about 15 minutes later, Fisher was in the Capitol Visitor Center’s Orientation Lobby, where an altercation started between a Capitol police officer and other rioters.
“As a U.S. Capitol Police Officer pursued a rioter who had deployed pepper spray, Fisher pushed a chair into the Capitol Police Officer,” the feds wrote. “Fisher then engaged in a physical altercation with the Capitol Police Officer. Shortly afterwards, Fisher exited the U.S. Capitol Building.”
Fisher has been charged in a D.C. criminal complaint with the felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
He’s facing the misdemeanor offenses of: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, acts of physical violence the Capitol grounds or building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
The next date in his case is June 13.
