Brooklyn man charged in connection to Capitol riots, federal authorities say

Edward Francisco Rodriguez allegedly sprayed officers with a chemical irritant, according to the Department of Justice.

News 12 Staff

Jul 13, 2021, 12:20 PM

Updated 1,188 days ago

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A Brooklyn man has been arrested and charged for allegedly spraying officers with a chemical irritant during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, the Department of Justice announced.
A video posted on Reddit showed Edward Francisco Rodriguez, 26, wearing a "Trump" hat and carrying a sign reading "stop the steal," with users referring to him as "#suitmacer," according to court documents.
Rodriguez can be seen pointing a black-colored canister at visibly marked law enforcement officers and spraying them with a chemical irritant, according to the documents.
A tipster from the site identified Rodriguez as the "#suitmacer" using open-source public records, and sent the FBI his driver's license photo, police mug shots, and a screenshot from his Century 21 Real Estate profile.
Rodriguez was taken into custody on Friday, and is charged with federal offenses including assaulting, resisting or impeding officers and engaging in physical violence on Capitol grounds, according to court documents.
Federal authorities have arrested more than 535 people in connection to the breach of the Capitol in nearly all 50 states.