A man identified by federal authorities as an evident member of the far-right group the Proud Boys is now facing a series of serious criminal charges for his alleged participation in the Capitol riot of early 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s office for Washington, D.C., announced.
Defendant Steve Saxiones of Texas is charged with obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and assault on a federal officer, both felonies that together strongly suggest that he could end up with a prison sentence years in length if eventually convicted.
Authorities say that Saxiones participated in an already infamous Proud Boys group chat ahead of what became the Capitol riot that used the moniker the “Ministry of Self Defense.” Purported messages from the discussion that the government credits to Saxiones involve various logistical questions around travelling to Washington, D.C. Specific content includes a discussion of potentially flying via commercial air travel with body armor in tow.
At the actual Capitol, authorities say that Saxiones was participating in confrontations of police officers just before the Capitol building itself was breached by participants in the assault. Participants in the Proud Boys organization were already identified as among the first who descended on the Capitol complex that day. Saxiones himself “allegedly made repeated efforts to push the bike rack barricades and throw his body weight into the police line” at one such juncture, per the government’s account. “Saxiones eventually moved to the end of one such barricade, lunged forward, and allegedly wrapped his arms around an officer.”
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump — now the presumptive presidential nominee from Republicans this year — is still arguing for pardons and/or the release of Capitol riot defendants if he actually regains the presidency this year. Data recently collected by the news and analysis site Just Security shows that most of the Capitol riot detainees in a D.C. facility prominently targeted by Trump’s political corner are facing assault cases — assaults that would have been perpetrated against police.
