A South Carolina man has copped to felony charges for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, admitting he used a stolen police riot shield as a weapon against officers. Tyler Bradley Dykes, 26, from Bluffton, pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers during the violent breach that shook the nation, the Justice Department announced.

Details from court documents reveal that Dykes was involved in extremist Telegram groups that promoted election fraud conspiracies and violence. After attending a rally by then-President Trump, Dykes marched to the Capitol, where he took part in dismantling barricades and advanced with the mob against outnumbered police, the Justice Department reports. At the building's east side, the situation escalated rapidly as rioters, including Dykes, confronted and overpowered law enforcement.

During the melee, Dykes wrested a riot shield from a U.S. Capitol Police officer and used it to forcefully push through police lines and breach the Rotunda. He later brandished the same shield in clashes with Metropolitan Police Department officers near the Senate chamber, according to the Justice Department's account. U.S. District Court Judge Howell has scheduled Dykes' sentencing for July 19, 2024.

The prosecution, a collaborative effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, underscores the ongoing repercussions of that chaotic day. Since the attack, more than 1,387 individuals have been apprehended for related crimes across the nation, nearly 500 of whom faced charges for assaulting law enforcement. The FBI's investigations into the Capitol breach continue, with Washington and Columbia, South Carolina Field Offices taking the lead, supported by U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.