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Gregory Yetman, 47, of Helmetta, pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with physical contact before U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg.
Yetman, an enlisted military police officer with the U. S. Army National Guard, traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan 6. 2021, and attended a rally for then-President Trump at the Ellipse, court documents show.
After the rally, Yetman walked to the west side of the U.S. Capitol building and climbed a platform on the West Terrace, where he was among a mob of rioters that had encircled a group of police officers attempting to defend the Capitol building, federal prosecutors said. An isolated group of officers struggled with the riotous mob but were quickly surrounded and assaulted from all sides, prosecutors said.
Just before 2:30 p.m., as other rioters continued to assault those officers, Yetman picked up an MK-46H canister containing OC spray, held it under his arm and, from within the effective distance of the spray, and intentionally assaulted the same group of besieged police officers by spraying them with the OC spray.
After Yetman sprayed multiple officers for approximately 12 to 14 seconds, the officers retreated toward other officers and left the area. Yetman tossed the canister on the platform and, as he retraced his steps, held up a cell phone to take photographs and videos of the mob.
Yetman then made his way to the Lower West Terrace, where rioters tried to enter the U.S. Capitol building through the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, according to federal officials.
Federal investigators tried to arrest Yetman for his conduct at the Capitol Riot on Nov. 8, 2023. As soon as he saw the officers, Yetman tried to re-enter his home, then fled into the woods on foot. As he fled, Yetman dropped a knife and a cell phone.
Investigators subsequently found multiple firearms and mass quantities of ammunition in his home, a loaded firearm in his vehicle, and additional firearms and weapons in a storage unit. After an extensive manhunt that lasted two days, Yetman surrendered to local police officers on Nov. 10, 2023.
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