California man accused of attacking officer with stun gun during riot on Capitol Hill

A southern California man has been charged with attacking a police officer with an “electroshock weapon” during the Jan.6 riot on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, prosecutors said Thursday.

Daniel Rodriguez, 38, of Fontana, was arrested on Wednesday, the District of Columbia’s U.S. attorney’s office said.

He is accused of attacking Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone during the attack on Capitol Hill as Congress officially counted electoral votes confirming President Joe Biden’s victory.

Fanone described being beaten by the crowd and shocked with a stun gun on several occasions, and he said that some in the crowd were chanting, “Kill him with his own gun”.

“I was being beaten with a thin blue line flag – which, you know, is that ironic? Fanone told NBC Washington in January. The flag is generally considered to support law enforcement. He said he suffered a mild heart attack.

The indictment against Rodriguez was returned last week and unsealed on Wednesday, officials said.

Rodriguez appeared in court on Thursday and was sentenced at least until his next hearing on Friday, the US prosecutor’s office said. Federal court records online do not list a lawyer for him.

Rodriguez is charged with eight federal charges, including obstruction of due process; obstruct, hinder or interfere with a law enforcement officer during the commission of a civil disturbance; and assault a federal agent with a dangerous weapon.

The indictment alleges that Rodriguez carried the stun weapon and a flag pole inside the restricted areas of the Capitol, but it does not describe whether a flag was attached. He also alleges that he broke a window on the Capitol.

People across the country have been arrested in connection with the riot. More than 350 people have been charged at the federal level.

This led to the unprecedented second indictment of President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly and falsely claimed fraud and promoted a stolen election lie, and who staged a rally before the riot. He was acquitted in the Senate. This week, two Capitol Hill cops pursued Trump.

Fontana is a city east of Los Angeles.