WASHINGTON — On Friday, the Department of Justice released body-worn camera video allegedly showing a former Williamson County, Tennessee, sheriff’s deputy attacking D.C. Police officers with spiked, reinforced gloves during the Capitol riot on January 6.
Arrested in August, Ronald Colton McAbee was initially granted bond by a magistrate judge, but federal prosecutors filed an emergency motion to keep him in jail. Prosecutors entered five body-worn camera videos into evidence as part of a bond hearing in U.S. District Court to ultimately determine whether McAbee will be released from jail before trial.
In one of the videos, taken at 4:27 p.m. on January 6, prosecutors say McAbee is seen punching and grabbing at D.C. Police officers while wearing his sheriff's department tactical gear. Another D.C. Police officer is seen lying motionless at his feet.
In another video taken seconds later, a man in a red ballcap pulls the prone officer back towards the crowd and away from a police line of fellow officers trying to rescue him. The videos were released to WUSA9 as part of an ongoing legal effort in conjunction with other national news outlets to press for the release of videos entered into evidence in January 6 proceedings in an effort to bring more transparency to the prosecutions.
The man identified by the Department of Justice as McAbee appears relentless in his assault on MPD, punching, grabbing and grappling with officers all the while shouting violent threats.
McAbee faces multiple counts of assault on law enforcement. A judge is expected to rule in the coming days whether he will be granted pretrial release.
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