Delco Man Threw Fire Extinguisher At Cops In Capitol Riots: Feds

CHESTER, PA — A retired firefighter from Delaware County is facing felony charges after authorities said he attacked a police officer during the events at the United State Capitol building last week, according to federal authorities

Robert Sanford, 55, of Upper Chichester, has been charged with three felony crimes, FBI officials told Patch Thursday.

FBI Philadelphia agents arrested Sanford Thursday morning

The charges against him include assault on a federal officer.

Sanford is accused of throwing a fire extinguisher at a police officer, officials confirmed to several sources.

The Inquirer reports Sanford was not the man who threw a fire extinguisher at Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died from his injuries sustained during the unrest on Jan. 6.

Sanford was a member of the Chester Fire Department from January 1994 to February 2020, according to Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland, who said the Jan. 6 events were akin to domestic terrorism.

"While Robert Sanford adorned a hat with a Fire Department logo, he is not a current employee of the city of Chester," Kirkland said. "As the First Amendment of our Constitution outlines the right to free speech and to peaceful assembly, the actions of the rioters in D.C. last week hinged on characteristics of domestic terrorism."

The photos of Sanford donning his CFD beanie spreading around social media had an unintended consequence however: falsely accusing a retired Chicago firefighter of being the alleged assaulter.

Social media trolls wrongly claimed the man believed to be Sanford was retired Chicago firefighter David Quintavalle. Quintvalle was grocery shopping and celebrating his wife's birthday in Chicago on Jan. 6, not in Washington DC.

Sanford and at least 15 others from Pennsylvania have been charged in connection with the events from Jan. 6. Additionally, one man from Pennsylvania died during the events.

Sanford is scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday in Philadelphia.

Patch has reached out to the Department of Justice for additional details on Sanford's arrest and charges.