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Pennsylvania man charged with assaulting female Capitol officer at deadly riots

Capitol riots
Posted at 7:34 PM, Feb 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-01 19:34:57-05

A Pennsylvania man was charged for allegedly attacking a female Capitol officer who sustained a concussion.

According to federal prosecutors, Ryan Stephen Samsel and several other rioters pushed barricades to the ground, resulting in a female U.S. Capitol Police officer hitting her head on stairs behind her, resulting in her losing consciousness.

According to court documents, Samsel is facing charges of forcibly assaulting a police officer and attempting to obstruct an officer.

According to court documents, Samsel told the officer, "we don't have to hurt you; why are you standing in our way?"

These are not Samsel's first criminal charges. He is currently on parole in Pennsylvania, and he is wanted in Riverside, New Jersey, for an alleged assault that occurred in 2019.