A central New York man was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including for assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The U.S. Attorney's Office arrested Aaron Saur, 43, of Syracuse.
Court documents say Saur is a member of the Central New York Proud Boys and traveled to Washington, D.C. and later marched with other Proud Boys members to the Capitol. He was seen in the crowd on the Lower West Terrace and was wearing a BulletSafe bulletproof vest, Kevlar gloves, and a balaclava.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Saur sprayed a "chemical agent" of similar consistency to pepper spray toward a line of police officers. He was also seen kicking, pushing and damaging a part of a black metal fence and moving and stacking bike rack barricades.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said after the events of Jan. 6, Saur wrote "We were the front line for storming the cap. Fought through five police blockades. Took some."
His felony offenses of civil disorder include "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct in any restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers."
He is also charged with misdemeanor offenses including, "destruction of government property, knowingly engaging in act of physical violence in any restricted building or grounds. disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, act of physical violence on Capitol grounds, parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building."
Saur is the former codes enforcement officer for the Village of Solvay. He will make his initial appearance in the Northern District of New York federal court.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, more than 1,313 people have been charged from their actions at the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. More than 469 face a felony charge from assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
