The Department of Justice has reportedly offered a plea deal to U.S. Capitol attack defendant Alan Byerly, who's accused of using a Taser against police and dragging a news photographer on Jan. 6.
In a tweet Wednesday, NBC News reporter Scott McFarlane wrote that the defense team for the Pennsylvania man wants a month to review the deal; details weren’t released.
Byerly, 54, of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, has been hit with assault on a federal officer, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, and assault, the Reading Eagle has reported, citing federal court documents.
Byerly pleaded not guilty early last month before federal Judge Randolph Moss in Washington; he’s been in federal custody since July 7, the Eagle reported.
He was ordered to remain behind bars in August after a prosecution request described him as "a brazen and violent participant" of the Jan. 6 attack, Reuters reported.
According to the charging documents, Byerly was in a crowd of protesters who gathered near a line of bicycle racks set up by police to keep them away from the Capitol, the Eagle reported.
The video shows Byerly just behind the bike racks holding what appears to be a Taser, which he raises in the air with his right hand and activates, the news outlet reported. Byerly then charges at police, some of whom can be heard yelling "Taser! Taser! Taser!" to warn fellow officers.
The officers knocked the device out of Byerly’s hands, but he continued charging them, the video showed. At one point, he tried to take a baton from an officer, knocking that officer to the ground in the process.
Although police were able to restrain Byerly, he fled with the help of another person in the mob, the Eagle reported.
Earlier on Jan. 6, Byerly was caught on footage posted by media outlets that showed him joining the assault of an Associated Press photographer who was pulled down a flight of stairs, pushed to the ground, and dragged toward protesters, the Eagle reported.
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