Largo Man Accused Of Assaulting Capitol Police With Extinguisher

LARGO, FL — A Largo man was arrested Wednesday after being accused of assaulting U.S. Capitol and Metropolitan police with a fire extinguisher during the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol.

Robert Scott Palmer, 53, a Clearwater business owner, was taken into custody by the FBI after he was positively identified in photos and videos showing crowds breaching the Capitol and disrupting a joint session of Congress as it was certifying the presidential election results, the FBI said.

An affidavit prepared by the FBI said Palmer has been positively identified in a video from security cameras inside the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol.

The footage shows Palmer wearing a red hat, face mask and American flag jacket throwing a wooden plank at officers, spraying police with a fire extinguisher and then throwing the extinguisher at police when its contents were used up, the FBI said.

Another security video from the Lower West Terrace tunnel shows Palmer again picking up a fire extinguisher and throwing it at police officers, the FBI said.

Five people died and more than 140 were injured when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the vote count and overturn his defeat by Joe Biden.

Shortly after his arrest Wednesday, Palmer appeared at a detention hearing in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa and was charged with one count of assaulting police officers with a deadly weapon, one count of obstructing law enforcement during an act of civil disorder and one count of unlawful entry and engaging in physical violence while armed with a deadly weapon.

His attorney, Bjorn Brunvand, told Judge Julie Sneed that his client regrets his involvement in the siege. Sneed agreed to release Palmer on a $25,000 bond. Palmer is also required to surrender his passport and any firearms he owns.

Palmer was identified after the FBI posted videos and still photographs on its public database of those who participated in the siege, the agency said.

Two months after the breach at the Capitol, Steven M. D’Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, said people continue to come forward with tips on the identities of those who took part.

“We’re grateful to the members of the public who have already been a tremendous help in these investigations,” D’Antuono said. “We know it can be a difficult decision to report information about family, friends or co-workers, but it is the right thing to do, and the FBI continues to need your help to identify these suspects.”

With the assistance of hundreds of thousands of tips, D'Antuono said, the FBI has arrested more than 300 people accused of taking part in the Capitol riots. Of those, more than 65 were arrested in connection with assaults law enforcement officers.

This week, the FBI’s Washington Field Office released new video footage showing 10 people assaulting police officers. At least 81 police officers were assaulted, and one was killed.

“Some of the most violent offenders have yet to be identified, including the 10 seen assaulting officers in the video we are releasing today," D'Antuono said.

"The FBI is asking for the public’s help in identifying 10 individuals suspected of being involved in some of the most violent attacks on officers who were protecting the U.S. Capitol and our democratic process on Jan. 6,” he said. “These individuals are seen on video committing egregious crimes against those who have devoted their lives to protecting the American people."
Antuono cautions residents that the video footage may be disturbing.

"You will see officers being punched, beaten with sticks, flagpoles and their own shields as well as being sprayed with a variety of unknown substances," he said. "Speaking as a law enforcement officer — but also as an American citizen — it is alarming to watch these videos."
He said the FBI is also continuing to update its public database.

"We ask the American people to scroll through the more than 250 unidentified individuals on our website," he said. "If you know any of these people or have information about them, please report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI."

Click here for a list of all those who have been identified and arrested.

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