Julian Hatter Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer Brian Siknik On Jan. 6

Comment A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Thursday to chemically spraying three police officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including Brian D. Sicknick, who later collapsed and died the next day. In a plea deal with federal prosecutors, State College, Pa., smoothie shop owner Julian Khater admitted to assaulting and injuring police officers with a dangerous weapon. Along with co-defendant George Tanios, Hatter had faced a 10-count indictment that included felony charges of rioting and obstructing congressional confirmation of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Tanios pleaded guilty on July 27 to reduced charges for a misdemeanor. Co-defendant in Sicknick assault case on Jan. 6 pleads guilty Khater pleaded guilty to charges punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but faces possible 78 to 97 months based on federal guidelines negotiated with prosecutors. He has spent 17 months behind bars since his arrest and will be sentenced on December 13. Video released to the Washington Post on April 28 showed the moment Capitol Police Officer Brian Siknik was pepper-sprayed by rioter Julian Eli Hayter on January 6. (Video: Acquired by The Washington Post) Khater’s plea resolves one of the most high-profile attacks on police in the Jan. 6 riots, in which nearly 140 defendants have been charged with a felony against a police officer. Childhood friends Khater, 33, and Tanios, 40, grew up chemical spray against police officers holding back a violent crowd on the West Terrace of the Capitol, injuring Siknik and others at a thin spot on police lines. Siknik, 42, collapsed hours later and died the next day of natural causes, officials said. Neither Tanios nor Khater allegedly caused Sicknick’s death. In his plea, Tanios admitted that he brought both bear and pepper spray to Washington and gave a canister to Hatter before their arrival at the Capitol. Tanios’ plea agreement did not require him to cooperate with prosecutors, although he admitted he had no information to dispute or refute the allegations against Khater in the indictment. More than 840 suspects charged in January 6 Capitol riot Khater admitted to growing pepper spray at close range in the faces of Sicknick, Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, and a DC police officer identified as B. Chapman by the police line, forcing them to leave their positions. In a bond hearing, prosecutors alleged that Khater moved to spray a second group before being pushed back by a police lieutenant who fired a chemical irritant at him using a “Super Soaker” type device. “Give me that bear s…” Hatter told Tanio in the video recorded nine minutes earlier at 2:14 p.m. on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace, where Sicknick and other officers stood guard behind metal bicycle racks, according to the appeal. “Wait, wait, not yet, not yet… it’s still early,” Tanios reportedly replied. Video released to the Washington Post on April 28 showed the moment Capitol Police Officer Brian Siknik was pepper-sprayed by rioter Julian Eli Hayter on January 6. (Video: Acquired by The Washington Post) In charging documents, an FBI agent said the exchange showed the two were “working in concert and had a plan to use the toxic spray against law enforcement.” The agent claimed that Khater “appeared over time to deploy chemicals to coincide with other rioters’ efforts to forcibly remove the bike rack barriers that were preventing rioters from approaching the Capitol building.” Tanios’ attorney argued that his client was 30 feet away from Khater when he sprayed the officers and did not aid or abet any crime. Khater’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina, said his client never coordinated or planned to attack police and never entered the Capitol building. “It wasn’t a plan. It was a reaction” to the spraying by police, Tacopina said. “He was using defensive spray.” Sicknick suffered two strokes after being at the Capitol that day, officials said. The medical examiner said an autopsy found no evidence that Sicknick suffered an allergic reaction to chemical irritants. There was also no evidence of internal or external injuries, the coroner said. Battle for West Terrace: Capitol riot charges reveal details of Jan. 6 police attacks Khater and Tanios were arrested in March 2021. In a hearing last year ordering Khater’s detention pending trial, U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan said the videos of the attacks on the three officers showed a degree of premeditation and the potential for future danger. “These two gentlemen are law abiding, respected people in the community, and it makes it very difficult for the court to come to this conclusion, but they still committed this attack on uniformed police officers. I can’t find a way around it,” Hogan said at the time.

title: “Julian Hatter Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer Brian Siknik On Jan. 6 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-01” author: “Joyce Gillaspie”

Comment A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Thursday to chemically spraying three police officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including Brian D. Sicknick, who later collapsed and died the next day. In a plea deal with federal prosecutors, State College, Pa., smoothie shop owner Julian Khater admitted to assaulting and injuring police officers with a dangerous weapon. Along with co-defendant George Tanios, Hatter had faced a 10-count indictment that included felony charges of rioting and obstructing congressional confirmation of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Tanios pleaded guilty on July 27 to reduced charges for a misdemeanor. Co-defendant in Sicknick assault case on Jan. 6 pleads guilty Khater pleaded guilty to charges punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but faces possible 78 to 97 months based on federal guidelines negotiated with prosecutors. He has spent 17 months behind bars since his arrest and will be sentenced on December 13. Video released to the Washington Post on April 28 showed the moment Capitol Police Officer Brian Siknik was pepper-sprayed by rioter Julian Eli Hayter on January 6. (Video: Acquired by The Washington Post) Khater’s plea resolves one of the most high-profile attacks on police in the Jan. 6 riots, in which nearly 140 defendants have been charged with a felony against a police officer. Childhood friends Khater, 33, and Tanios, 40, grew up chemical spray against police officers holding back a violent crowd on the West Terrace of the Capitol, injuring Siknik and others at a thin spot on police lines. Siknik, 42, collapsed hours later and died the next day of natural causes, officials said. Neither Tanios nor Khater allegedly caused Sicknick’s death. In his plea, Tanios admitted that he brought both bear and pepper spray to Washington and gave a canister to Hatter before their arrival at the Capitol. Tanios’ plea agreement did not require him to cooperate with prosecutors, although he admitted he had no information to dispute or refute the allegations against Khater in the indictment. More than 840 suspects charged in January 6 Capitol riot Khater admitted to growing pepper spray at close range in the faces of Sicknick, Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, and a DC police officer identified as B. Chapman by the police line, forcing them to leave their positions. In a bond hearing, prosecutors alleged that Khater moved to spray a second group before being pushed back by a police lieutenant who fired a chemical irritant at him using a “Super Soaker” type device. “Give me that bear s…” Hatter told Tanio in the video recorded nine minutes earlier at 2:14 p.m. on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace, where Sicknick and other officers stood guard behind metal bicycle racks, according to the appeal. “Wait, wait, not yet, not yet… it’s still early,” Tanios reportedly replied. Video released to the Washington Post on April 28 showed the moment Capitol Police Officer Brian Siknik was pepper-sprayed by rioter Julian Eli Hayter on January 6. (Video: Acquired by The Washington Post) In charging documents, an FBI agent said the exchange showed the two were “working in concert and had a plan to use the toxic spray against law enforcement.” The agent claimed that Khater “appeared over time to deploy chemicals to coincide with other rioters’ efforts to forcibly remove the bike rack barriers that were preventing rioters from approaching the Capitol building.” Tanios’ attorney argued that his client was 30 feet away from Khater when he sprayed the officers and did not aid or abet any crime. Khater’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina, said his client never coordinated or planned to attack police and never entered the Capitol building. “It wasn’t a plan. It was a reaction” to the spraying by police, Tacopina said. “He was using defensive spray.” Sicknick suffered two strokes after being at the Capitol that day, officials said. The medical examiner said an autopsy found no evidence that Sicknick suffered an allergic reaction to chemical irritants. There was also no evidence of internal or external injuries, the coroner said. Battle for West Terrace: Capitol riot charges reveal details of Jan. 6 police attacks Khater and Tanios were arrested in March 2021. In a hearing last year ordering Khater’s detention pending trial, U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan said the videos of the attacks on the three officers showed a degree of premeditation and the potential for future danger. “These two gentlemen are law abiding, respected people in the community, and it makes it very difficult for the court to come to this conclusion, but they still committed this attack on uniformed police officers. I can’t find a way around it,” Hogan said at the time.