Jan. 6 rioter used Confederate flagpole to smash his way into Capitol: court docs

A man who allegedly participated in the riots of Jan. 6, 2021, used a flagpole bearing a Confederate flag to smash his way into the U.S. Capitol.

In court documents unsealed this week, an unnamed F.B.I. agent alleged that Troy Koen had participated in the Jan. 6. attacks.

"KOEN approached the Lower West Terrace tunnel holding a large, white pole with two flags attached. One flag said 'TRUMP 2020' and the other was a Confederate flag," the affidavit explained. "With the flagpole in hand, KOEN made his way through the crowd and to the front of the pack of rioters. The rioters faced the closed double glass doors that served as a barrier to their entrance to the Capitol building."

"One rioter bashed the glass door with an unknown object in his hand at the same time that KOEN lifted his flagpole above his shoulder and began to violently jab the flagpole into the glass. The glass door shattered as KOEN continued to jab his flagpole through it, which allowed the rioters to reach through the broken glass and open the door," the affidavit said.

At one point, the suspect was said to have disassembled the flagpole into two different pieces and used it to jab officers who were trying to hold back rioters.

Koen was later seen leaving the area without his flagpoles.

Officers with the Mineral Wells Police Department in Texas identified Koen from the Jan. 6 footage.

"[T]here is probable cause to believe that TROY KOEN violated 18 U.S.C. § 111, which makes it a crime to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with any person designated in section 1114 of this title while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties," the document added. "[T]here is also probable cause to believe that TROY KOEN violated 18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3), which makes it unlawful to commit or attempt to commit any act to obstruct, impede, or interfere with any fireman or law enforcement officer lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of his official duties incident to and during the commission of a civil disorder which in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or adversely affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce or the conduct or performance of any federally protected function."