Ridgefielder Accused Of Assaulting Cop In D.C. Riot Out On Bond

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield man accused of assaulting a police officer during the breach of the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. was ordered released from custody Tuesday as his court case remains pending.

According to court documents, Patrick McCaughey III has been charged with assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon and obstructing an official proceeding, among other charges.

McCaughey traveled to Washington, D.C., and "knowingly and willfully joined a crowd of individuals who forcibly entered the grounds of the United States Capitol and impeded, disrupted, and disturbed the orderly conduct of business by the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate," according to the original complaint.

Authorities accuse McCaughey of pinning Washington D.C. Metro Officer Daniel Hodges to the door from the lower west terrace of the Capitol with his shield while "a separate rioter was violently ripping off Officer Hodges gas mask exposing Officer Hodges' bloodied mouth."

McCaughey was part of a crowd that was not lawfully authorized to enter or remain in the Capitol and, prior to entering the building, no members of the crowd submitted to security screenings or weapons checks, according to court documents.

McCaughey will return to his mother’s home in Ridgefield where she will act as his custodian, according to the Connecticut Post.