DOJ: Lowcountry man who stole police riot shield during Jan. 6 riot arrested in Virginia

US Justice Dept.

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A man from the Lowcountry of South Carolina is facing nine charges following his arrest in connection to the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, federal officials said Tuesday.

Tyler Bradley Dykes, 25, of Bluffton, is charged with two felonies: civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.

He’s also charged with seven misdemeanors:

• knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority;
• knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of government business or official functions;
• knowingly engaging in any act of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building or grounds; or attempt or conspire to do so;
• the person, during and in relation to the offense, uses or carries a deadly or dangerous weapon or firearm;
• utter loud, threatening, or abusive language, or engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the grounds or in any of the Capitol buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of congress or either House of Congress, or the orderly conduct in that building of a hearing before, or any deliberations of, a committee of congress or either House of Congress,

engage in any act of physical violence in the grounds or any of the Capitol buildings,parade, demonstrate, or picket in any of the Capitol buildings.

According to federal court documents, Dykes attended the “Stop the Steal” rally and marched with other supporters of former President Donald Trump to the U.S. Capitol.

Officials say Dykes could be seen on video tearing down barriers and attacking police officers during the insurrection. At one point, Dykes was videoed stealing a riot shield from an officer.

The 25-year-old suspect was later spotted carrying the riot shield through the halls of the Capitol Building.

Authorities arrested Dykes in Charlottesville, Virginia. According to CNN, Dykes was charged earlier this year in connection to the 2017 White supremacist march that took place in the same city.

Dykes’ case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice (DOJ) National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Since the insurrection, more than 1,000 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states, according to the DOJ.

Federal officials are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.