Michael Joseph Foy, a former Marine, was arrested and charged for repeatedly assaulting cops with hockey stick and hurling a 'sharpened pole' towards them during the Capitol attack on January 6. Foy has been charged on multiple counts including obstruction of law enforcement and forcibly assaulting an office during the siege.
A staunch Trump supporter, Foy was among thousands of rioters who stormed the Capitol and indulged in the protests. The attack was launched soon after Vice President Mike Pence told the lawmakers that he will not block the congressional certification of Joe Biden's victory.
'Foy Took Leadership Role in the Capitol Attack'
During the hearing, the prosecutors said that in the assault captured on a video and a body-cam footage from one of the officers on the ground, who was hit by Foy's hockey stick, revealed that the former Marine swung his hockey stick at least 10 times and appears to have struck officers.
The Daily Beast reported that in the detention memo filed on Sunday evening, federal prosecutors said that Foy repeatedly beat officers "in the face, head, neck, and body area. He took a leadership role in the chaos and encouraged the crowd to charge into the Capitol through broken windows, the memo said.
Later, Foy crawled through a broken window into the Capitol with his hockey stick in hand.
"Foy's actions were some of the most aggressive and violent at the January 6 riot. Far from a mere participant, Foy took a leadership role: he personally attacked officers and appears to have led others into the Capitol," the memo stated further.
Former Marine Attempted Suicide in January
Hailing from Westland, Michigan, Foy had served 5 years in the Marine Corps and is trained in combat. The Detroit News reported that according to the prosecutors, Foy, with no criminal history, has struggled with alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. "Foy attempted to commit suicide during the first week of January and is having suicidal thoughts in jail," officials said.
Claiming Foy to be a danger to the community and posing a risk of nonappearance, the prosecutors argued in the memo that his actions on January 6 were among the most violent of all participants and Foy be held while he awaits trial.
Terming Foy's action as "the most violent of all participants" during the attack, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Moon asked the court to keep him detained as his case proceeds. "No combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community, the safety of Mr. Foy or his appearance if he's released on bond," Moon said during the hearing.
