Colorado resident Avery Carter MacCracken has now joined those who have been arrested for assaulting police during the Trump-inspired storming of the Capitol in January. While there, he apparently “approached a police line that was attempting to protect the Capitol building and grounds” and then “assaulted an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department with pushes, shoves, and a strike to the face,” according to a press release from the Justice Department. He also struggled with another officer. His charges now include civil disorder and assaulting an officer to the point of inflicting bodily injury, both of which appear to be felonies and come with stiff penalties, if found guilty. As of Tuesday, he was in detention ahead of further proceedings.
MacCracken was recognized and identified in photos from the Capitol violence by local law enforcement officials from the area in which he lives. Those officials include Chief Marshal Josh Comte from the Telluride Marshal’s Office in Colorado and Sheriff Bill Masters from the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, both of whom have experienced prior interactions with MacCracken.
According to a court filing, Masters “knows MacCracken extremely well, with numerous and frequent contacts by himself personally, and by his deputies,” and he “further explained he has seen MacCracken dressed in the very same clothes on multiple occasions in Telluride” that were shown in photos of the violence. The same goes for Comte, whose office has “had numerous interactions with MacCracken, including Chief Comte dealing personally with him,” according to that court filing, which added that Comte “recognized the clothing of MacCracken in the referenced photos as the same identifiable clothes that are frequently worn by MacCracken in Colorado.”
Colorado Man Arrested for Assault on Law Enforcement During January Sixth Capitol Breach: Avery Carter MacCracken of Colorado has been arrested for assaulting law enforcement and other crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6. https://t.co/8tYObC6qJH
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) December 15, 2021
Apparently, MacCracken “is oftentimes homeless,” as that filing summarizes based on remarks from Sheriff Masters, who sounded eager to help federal authorities. Masters said that it was “no surprise to those of us who have had to deal with this career criminal that he, along with the other clowns, violently assaulted peace officers who were attempting to protect our Republic,” adding that he was “pleased to see federal authorities continue their obligation and commitment to indict those who committed crimes during that dark day in United States history.”
MacCracken is among over 220 individuals who’ve been charged for assaulting police in some form at the Capitol. Recently, federal prosecutors handed down their toughest sentencing request yet for an individual accused of such a crime, asking for over five years behind bars for Capitol rioter Robert Palmer, who wielded items including a wooden plank and a fire extinguisher against police. Palmer’s sentencing is set to take place on Friday, December 17.
Fact Checker: No, Trump did not order 10,000 troops to secure the Capitol on Jan. 6 https://t.co/CaSbTBDnGS
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 15, 2021
