Florida man pleads guilty to throwing a wooden plank and a fire extinguisher at police officers during the Capitol riot
- Robert Scott Palmer took a plea deal on Monday for his actions during the Capitol riot.
- Palmer was caught on camera throwing a wooden plank and a fire extinguisher at officers.
- In exchange for pleading guilty to one of the charges against him, seven others were dropped.
A 54-year-old Florida man pleaded guilty to throwing a wooden plank and a fire extinguisher at police officers during the Capitol riot, court records filed on Monday show.
Robert Scott Palmer of Largo agreed to plead guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon in exchange for seven other charges against him being dropped, according to the terms of the plea agreement, which was viewed by Insider.
Palmer threw a plank at officers with the US Capitol Police and Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department while standing near an entrance to the Capitol building on January 6, according to a Justice Department press release about the guilty plea.
About two minutes later, Palmer "sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher at the officers until it was empty" and then "threw the fire extinguisher at the officers," the release from the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia stated.
Though no one was injured, it was determined that Palmer was "capable of inflicting serious bodily injury" due to "the size and weight of the plank and fire extinguisher, and the speed and force with which Palmer threw them."
Palmer is set to be sentenced on December 17. He faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Another term of Palmer's plea agreement is that he be interviewed by investigators before his sentencing, and allow them to search his social media accounts.
More than 600 people have been charged in connection to the Capitol riot, but less than 80 had pleaded guilty as of Monday.