Three men were found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges related to their role in the U.S. Capitol riot, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.
The big picture: Patrick McCaughey, Tristan Chandler Stevens and David Mehaffie were at the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol, the site of some of the heaviest violence during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Details: McCaughey, 25, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and Stevens, 26, of Pensacola, Florida, "taunted officers," the DOJ said in a statement. Mehaffie "yelled at nearby rioters who were hesitating to illegally cross the outer perimeter."
- "If we can't fight over this wall, we can't win this battle!" said Mehaffie, 63, of Kettering, Ohio, according to federal prosecutors.
- After scaling the scaffolding and staircase, they directed other rioters to break into the building, the DOJ said.
- The DOJ added they participated in heave-hos against the police line, "using riot shields stolen from the Capitol Police, and assaulting three specific officers."
By the numbers: The Justice Department said the three men were found guilty of a combined 22 offenses, including counts of aiding or abetting or assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers,.
- Of the 22 charges, 14 are federal charges while eight are misdemeanor charges.
The big picture: More than 870 people have been arrested for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
What's next: The three men will be sentenced in January 2023.
