Thomas Sibick reaching toward police officer’s badge and radio (image via Metropolitan Police) Thomas F. Sibick, of Buffalo, New York, faces serious charges in connection to assaulting a Metropolitan police officer and “forcibly” taking his badge and radio during January’s riot at the U.S. Capitol. According to NBC News, Sibick was charged with “knowingly entering a restricted building, violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, obstruction of law enforcement, assaulting or impeding certain officers, and taking from a person anything of value by force.” Court documents state that FBI agents viewed Instagram footage that shows Sibick saying he had been tear-gassed but “we’re going, baby, we’re going.” He also shared photos on Facebook showing himself holding a shield belonging to a Capitol police officer. (image via US Court) Sibick’s story is he was actually trying to help an officer who was pulled into the crowd and then “beaten, tased, and robbed” of his badge, radio, and 17-round magazine. Uh huh… That’s it. According to the court documents, “Sibick stated that he attempted to reach the officer to pull him away but was unable to get to him and at that point he feared for his life and that of the officer. Sibick further stated that due to the violence, he decided to leave.” But then footage from the officer’s body cam, who blacked out during the attack and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment, showed Sibick reaching toward the officer and pulling off the officer’s radio and badge. In a follow-up interview with Sibick on February 23, investigators found Sibick’s story changed a bit. “Sibick stated that he had reached in to try to help the officer, and that he remembered the badge coming off as he reached for him,” reads the complaint. “Sibick said that he pressed the ’emergency orange button’ once he had possession of the radio to get help for the officer.” Sibick then told investigators that he dropped the badge and radio and left the Capitol. However, he later admitted to taking the items back to Buffalo where he threw away the radio and buried the badge in his yard. Sibick was arrested and then released to home confinement at his father’s house while he awaits trial. Sibick’s Instagram showed photos with the police shield as well as one photo captioned, “Wildest experience in my life!”
New York man accused of taking badge of officer beaten during Capitol riot. Thomas Sibick, of Buffalo, is accused of taking the officer's badge and radio and burying the badge in his backyard: @minyvonneb, @NBCNews.https://t.co/vUvodq1qAc
