BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – A Buffalo man who attended the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6 will go to jail in Washington ahead of his trial after his alleged involvement in attacking a police officer and after admitting to the FBI that he stole the officer’s badge.
Thomas Sibick was arraigned Tuesday for his alleged role in the riots. In addition to the theft of a police badge, he was charged with entering the Capitol without authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds, Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder, Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding officers.
Much of Tuesday’s court proceeding was to determine whether or not Sibick would go to jail ahead of his trial. The debate was whether or not Sibick, who has a criminal history, is a danger to the public. Though prosecutors proved Sibick was at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, the judge said Sibick’s “enthusiastic” participation on January 6, including the ripping of the badge and theft of a police radio, was “lawless” and warranted jail time.
On that day, a Metropolitan Police Department Officer identified only as “M.F.” was pulled into the crowd that Sibick was in. That officer was beaten, tased, and robbed of his badge, police radio, a 17-round magazine. The officer was hospitalized for his injuries.
The FBI zeroed in on Sibick on January 21 after their agents in Buffalo interviewed witnesses. An unidentified witness reported that Sibick posted a video of the riot to his social media page.
“Just got tear-gassed, but we’re going, baby, we’re going!” Sibick said in a video on his Instagram account. “We’re pushing forward now!”
Six days later, a second witness showed FBI agents a photo on Sibick’s Facebook account that showed the Buffalo man with a U.S. Capitol Police Shield.
Video of the riots showed Sibick entering and exiting the tunnel to the Capitol Building. Prosecutors said a voice they believed was Sibick said they were from Buffalo.
Sibick was first interviewed by the FBI on January 27. He told authorities he was at the capitol and that he was trying to pull the officer away from the mob. The judge said there was no credibility to that argument.
Sibick said he left because he was afraid for his life and the officer. When shown the photograph of him holding the riot shield, Sibick said he wasn’t going to use the shield but just wanted to pose with it.
Sibick at the time denied involvement in the assault of the officer.
After looking at the footage again, the FBI conducted a second interview with Sibick on February 23. This time, agents showed Sibick still shots from the officer’s body camera. Sibick claimed he tried to help the officer by pressing the “emergency orange button” once he had possession of the radio. When he left, Sibick said he took the radio and badge with and threw it away in Washington because he was afraid he would be arrested if he returned it.
Prosecutors said later Sibick admitted he lied about throwing away the badge. He told agents he threw it in a dumpster by the Lenox Hotel.
Three days later, he finally admitted where the badge was: In his own backyard.
Sibick eventually gave the agent a bag with mud and the officer’s badge. The radio was thrown away.
Sibick faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted.