Man who tripped officer with bike rack on Jan. 6 pleads guilty to felony

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Prosecutors said Mikhail Edward Slye, 32, used a bike rack barricade to intentionally trip a Capitol Police officer.

The officer suffered injuries to his hand, wrist and lower body after falling down stairs after being tripped, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

Slye was arrested on Sept. 30 in Meadville, Pa.

The felony charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 4.

Slye’s guilty plea Tuesday came after he previously pleaded not guilty to more than half a dozen charges against him in October, including assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers and interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, The Meadville Tribune reported. 

Since the insurrection at the Capitol, hundreds of individuals have been taken into custody while the DOJ continues to investigate and bring charges.

“In the nearly 24 months since Jan. 6, 2021, close to 900 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 275 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement,” the department said in a press release.