A Capitol riot suspect accused of attacking officers while dressed as 'Jack Skellington' requested the 'right to defend himself' from prison guards

• A man accused of assaulting officers at the Capitol asked a judge for the "right to defend himself" against prison guards.
• Prosecutors allege that Josiah Kenyon, 34, threw objects at officers while swinging a table leg with a protruding nail.

A man accused of attacking police at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, while dressed as "Jack Skellington" bragged about his IQ during a court appearance before asking a judge if he had the right to defend himself if attacked by corrections officers in prison, according to Politico reporter Kyle Cheney.

Prosecutors allege that Josiah Kenyon, 34, threw objects at officers protecting the Capitol while swinging a table leg with a protruding nail.

Surveillance footage from the day appears to show Kenyon wearing a one-piece costume of "Jack Skellington" from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" during the attempted insurrection.

During a hearing on Thursday, Kenyon asked US District Judge Carl J. Nichols for permission to speak, Cheney reported. When warned that he may want to speak with his lawyer first before speaking, Kenyon told the judge: "I have a high enough IQ range to not screw up there, boss."

Following the back-and-forth, Kenyon then asked whether he had a right to defend himself if attacked by prison guards, which the judge declined to answer, according to Cheney.

"I'm not making any finding one way or another about that," the judge said.

At the end of the hearing, Nichols reportedly asked if Kenyon had anything else to raise before the court.

"My wife and children homeless on the street," Nichols answered, leading the judge to end the hearing.

Kenyon and his wife were arrested in December 2021 and charged with child endangerment after the Washoe County Sheriff's Office allegedly discovered his family living in an unheated trailer in Nevada.

Deputies also allege they found an AR-15 rifle and Glock handgun in the vehicle during their search.

Kenyon faces numerous charges in connection with the Capitol riot, including civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon, and destruction of government property. Kenyon has pleaded not guilty.

Kenyon's next conference is set for March 3, 2022.

At least 768 people have been charged with crimes in connection to the Capitol riots, with nearly 180 riot suspects entering guilty pleas so far.