DOJ announces another Jan. 6 arrest amid Capitol riot hearing

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday announced another arrest stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection amid the first day of the Capitol riot hearing.

The DOJ in its statement on Tuesday said that federal authorities arrested Samuel Lazar of Ephrata, Pa., on Monday on federal charges including spraying Capitol police offers with a chemical irritant. 

According to the court documents, Lazar dressed in tactical gear, protective goggles and camouflage face paint on the day of the Capitol siege, approached the line where police officers were barricading the western front of the building and sprayed chemical irritants in the direction of authorities. 

Authorities told Lazar to move back from the area, using their own chemical irritants to force Lazar down the steps, but Lazar returned, deploying more chemical irritants on officers, according to the DOJ. 

“They maced us, those tyrannical pieces of shit, and we maced them right the f— back and now they’re taking the building,” Lazar said in an open video source that was obtained. 

Lazar, 35, was charged federal offenses that include assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, according to the DOJ. 

The latest arrest comes as the House select committee’s hearing on the Jan.6 attack began on Tuesday. 

Lazar is set to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday.