Pennsylvania brothers charged with assaulting officer during 2020 Capitol riot
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 6: Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 presid
PHILADELPHIA - Two brothers from Pennsylvania are accused of assaulting a law enforcement officer during the violent insurrection at the United States Capitol building in 2020.
Andrew Valentin, 26, and Matthew Valentin, 31, were allegedly seen on open-source video walking from the Washington Monument towards the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Investigators say the brothers, both from Stroudsburg, made their way to the West Plaza of the Capitol grounds and climbed a media tower in the area.
The brothers allegedly assembled with other rioters and rushed a police line, at one point using a bike rack to ram into the line of officers. Investigators say at one point, Matthew Valentin reached his hand through the bike rack and grabbed a U.S. Capitol Police Officer.
Minutes later, investigators say Matthew held a baton in one hand and a spray can in the other which he used to spray "chemical irritants" into the line of officers. Both brothers, investigators say, used their cell phones to record the scene during the chaos.
After making their way to the Upper West Terrace, it's alleged that Matthew Valentin grabbed an officers baton during another encounter with law enforcement. Once police pushed back the rioters, the Valentins returned to the West Plaza where Andrew Valentin allegedly threw a chair at a line of police officers.
Both brothers have been charged in a criminal complaint filed in Washington D.C. with felony offenses of civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.
The Valentins are also facing several misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and act of physical violence in the Capitol buildings or grounds.
Andrew was arrested on Monday in South Whitehall Township and Matthew was taken into custody a day later in Wilkes-Barre.