New Jersey Man Gregory Yetman Held Without Bail in 2021 Capitol Riot Attack

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : New Jersey Man Charged in U.S. Capitol Attack Appears in Federal Court

TRENTON — Gregory Yetman, a New Jersey man accused of spraying police officers with a chemical irritant during the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, made his initial federal court appearance on Monday. He was ordered to be held without bail until his trial.

During the hearing at the U.S. District Court in Trenton, the FBI released photos that allegedly showed Yetman spraying the liquid on officers during the January 6th riot. The 47-year-old defendant was assigned a federal public defender.

According to the FBI, Yetman is facing charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and committing an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

Yetman did not enter a plea during the hearing. The arraignment, where he is expected to enter a plea, will be scheduled in Washington.

An affidavit from an undisclosed FBI officer was unsealed during the hearing. The affidavit included photos from body-worn cameras of officers from Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, which allegedly showed Yetman spraying the liquid towards a group of officers during the riot. The FBI confirmed that the liquid was a chemical irritant.

The affidavit also revealed that on January 14, 2021, the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command received information that Yetman, a National Guard member, had admitted his presence at the Capitol riot through a series of Facebook posts. In one of the posts submitted as evidence, Yetman wrote, “As someone who supports our President and loves this country but hates where it’s going thanks to corruption and fraud by a tyrannical governing class, I can’t sit by and do nothing.” He added, “what happened at the Capitol was unfortunate and unacceptable.”

Yetman claimed in his Facebook posts that he had positioned himself between the rioters and those who were there “just to protest the sham of an election.” He also apologized to the law enforcement officers, stating, “To my brothers and sisters in blue, I’m sorry for what happened at the Capitol. We’re better than that.”

FBI agents interviewed Yetman on January 22, 2021, where he admitted being at the Capitol but claimed he was trying to help people exposed to chemical irritants by pouring water into their eyes. However, the photos included in the court document showed Yetman spraying a stream of liquid identified by the FBI as MK-46H, a chemical irritant used by law enforcement.

According to the FBI special agent, another rioter had been using the canister to spray police before dropping it on the ground. Yetman allegedly picked it up and sprayed its contents at officers for approximately 12 to 14 seconds.

The federal public defender assigned to represent Yetman has not responded to requests for comment, and a message left at Yetman’s home last week went unanswered.

Last week, Yetman evaded authorities for two days when they arrived at his Helmetta, New Jersey home to arrest him. He ran into a wooded area but surrendered peacefully on Friday.

Since the attack on the U.S. Capitol, approximately 1,200 individuals have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Of those charged, over 800 have pleaded guilty or been convicted, either by a jury or judge after a trial. More than 700 of the defendants have been sentenced, with around two-thirds receiving prison terms ranging from three days to 22 years.

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