Capitol Rioter Accused of Attacking Cops Claims Self-Defense
- Julian Eli Khater allegedly sprayed Officer Brian Sicknick
- Lawyer says Khater responded to being sprayed himself first
Trump supporters inside the U.S. Capitol after breaching barricades to the building in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
One of the men accused of assaulting police officer Brian Sicknick with a chemical spray during the U.S. Capitol riot argued that he was acting defensively.
Julian Eli Khater, 32, was arrested last month on charges that he attacked Sicknick and two other Capitol Police officers during the Jan. 6 siege. The authorities claim Khater, a Pennsylvania resident, sprayed the officers, causing them retreat from the line and rush to wash out their eyes. Sicknick later collapsed at police headquarters and subsequently died at the hospital.