Federal agents with the FBI arrested a 47-year-old man in Snohomish on Tuesday, accused of attacking police officers during the January 6 insurrection in 2021.
According to court documents, Thomas Hodo was identified in a video standing near a line of officers on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol grounds with Derek Noftsger, another Snohomish man who was arrested August 15.
Documents state that it appears Hodo joined with a group of rioters who tried to pull a bike rack barricade away from police as Noftsger stood nearby and watched.
About one minute later, documents state that Hodo walked over to Noftsger and appeared to place a flag in a backpack. Hodo then appeared to take an item from Noftsger’s bag and threw the item in the direction of the police line.
About six minutes after throwing an item in the direction of officers, documents state that video shows Hodo approach the police line and speak into a microphone saying, in part:
“It is our constitutional duty, we have to stand up to a tyrannical government, we are not supposed to secede to a tyrannical government,” then went on to claim that he supported the police, before proclaiming that “every treasonous traitor will be hung ... we will take our country back.”
About an hour later, rioters are seen on video pushing the police line. Documents state that it appears Noftsger picked up a police officer’s riot shield and threw it at the officers.
Hodo then allegedly picked up a cannister of pepper spray and tried to use it on officers, but it didn’t work, so he threw it at them instead.
Documents state that a short time later, the two men climbed onto the Southwest Scaffolding and eventually made their way to the Lower West Terrace where, in a video, Hodo can be heard saying, “it could get a lot worse; we came in peace this time, it could get a lot worse, believe me we are well armed if we need to be.”
To date, nearly 1,500 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, which is a felony.
The investigation remains ongoing.
©2024 Cox Media Group
