A Texas man who allegedly brought two canisters of bear spray to Washington D.C. with which he attacked Capitol police faces multiple felony charges in connection with the January 6 riot.
William Hendry Mellors, 50, of Tomball, Texas, “admitted that he joined a crowd of “rabid” protestors on U.S. Capitol grounds, and the crowd was attempting to push its way inside the U.S. Capitol building, the FBI criminal complaint alleged.
“As the crowd began pushing towards the Capitol building, and Mellors said he could barely breathe,” the report stated. “At some point, he felt something hit him on the right of his head from behind, he fell to the ground, and felt dizzy. Mellors then noticed his ear was bleeding.”
Mellors, who was tipped off to the FBI by a Capitol witness who saw a bloody ear, posted a picture of his injured ear on his Parler account with this narrative:
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“Took a nice beat down from Washington DC police tonight. Some tear gas and a riot baton. Broken ribs and some stitches needed. But nothing compared to Ashli Babbit who was murdered by Police. RIP, you deserved better from the country you served!”
The FBI displayed a photo of a bear spray canister that it said Mellors used to attack Capitol police, along with a description:
“Capsaicin is a similar substance type utilized by law enforcement officers to incapacitate resisting subjects and is an irritant chemical substance. The bear spray is intended to be used against bears and can be sprayed from longer distances than the spray used by law enforcement. The label of this spray directs that this type of spray is not to be used on humans.”
Mellors wore a blue sweatshirt with multiple patches, including one depicting an assault rifle with the words “Black Guns Matter” and another depicting with the words “I pull out” next to the pin. He told FBI investigators he had met members of the Proud Boys at a Trump rally in November, but the report did not describe him as a member.
Mellors faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon or Inflicting Bodily Injury.
You can read the FBI statement of facts here.
