A New Jersey man accused of spraying police officers with a chemical irritant during the 2021 Capitol attack appeared in federal court and was ordered to remain in custody until trial. The FBI released photos showing Gregory Yetman spraying the liquid on officers. Yetman is facing multiple charges, including assaulting officers and obstruction of law enforcement. ABC7 New York reported
A New Jersey man named Gregory Yetman appeared in federal court in Trenton on Monday, where he was accused of spraying police officers with a chemical irritant during the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The FBI presented photos at the hearing, which showed Yetman spraying the liquid on officers during the riot. Yetman, who is 47 years old, was assigned a federal public defender for his appearance.
According to the FBI, Yetman is facing several charges, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and committing an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
During the court hearing, an affidavit from an FBI officer was unsealed, and it included photos from body-worn cameras of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department officers. The photos showed Yetman spraying the liquid towards a group of officers. The FBI confirmed that the liquid was a chemical irritant.
It was revealed that on January 14, 2021, the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command received information that Yetman, who is a National Guard member, had admitted his presence at the Capitol riot in Facebook posts. In one of the posts submitted as evidence, Yetman expressed his support for the President and love for the country but criticized the corruption and fraud that he believed had occurred. He referred to the events at the Capitol as unfortunate and unacceptable, and claimed that he positioned himself between rioters and peaceful protestors.
In an interview with the FBI on January 22, 2021, Yetman admitted to being at the Capitol but stated that he was trying to help people who had been exposed to chemical irritants by pouring water into their eyes. Yetman emphasized his support for law enforcement and expressed that anyone who entered the Capitol or assaulted officers should be prosecuted.
Despite Yetman’s claims, the FBI provided photos that showed him spraying a stream of liquid at officers. The liquid was identified as MK-46H, a type of chemical irritant used by law enforcement. The FBI special agent stated that another rioter had initially used the canister to spray police, and Yetman subsequently picked it up and sprayed its contents at officers for approximately 12 to 14 seconds.
Yetman was represented by a federal public defender, who did not comment on the case. Yetman had evaded arrest for two days when authorities initially arrived at his home in Helmetta, New Jersey. He was eventually apprehended without incident on Friday.
It is worth noting that around 1,200 individuals have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Of those, more than 800 have pleaded guilty or been convicted, and over 700 have already been sentenced, with the majority receiving prison terms ranging from three days to 22 years.
Overall, the case against Gregory Yetman involves allegations of him spraying police officers with a chemical irritant during the U.S. Capitol attack in 2021. The evidence presented by the FBI includes photos and statements that suggest Yetman’s involvement in the incident. He is currently being held without bail until his trial, and the legal proceedings are expected to continue in Washington..