Kettering man found guilty in Jan. 6 Capitol riot case

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Kettering man has been found guilty on charges connected to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Riot.

David Mehaffie, 63, was found guilty Tuesday of felony aiding and abetting in assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder. He was also convicted on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building and aiding and abetting in committing an act of violence in the Capitol Building or grounds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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Mehaffie was arrested in Kettering in August 2021 and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

According to the criminal complaint, Mehaffie “willingly and knowingly engaged in an act of physical violence” on Capitol grounds and in Capitol buildings on Jan. 6.

The Justice Department said Mehaffie yelled at nearby rioters who were hesitating to illegally cross the outer perimeter, “if we can’t fight over this wall, we can’t win this battle!”

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“At the Lower West Terrace, officers of the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department guarded the entrance door to the Capitol from the mob -- including [Mehaffie and two others convicted Tuesday] -- for several hours. Between 2:41 p.m. and 3:19 p.m., [Mehaffie and two others convicted Tuesday] attempted to break into the building by directing other rioters, participating in heave-hos against the police line, using riot shields stolen from the Capitol Police, and assaulting three specific officers. Mehaffie hung from an archway and shouted direction from above,” according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

While he was found guilty on four charges, Mehaffie wasn’t convicted on obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting.

Mehaffie will be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2023.

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