Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 23
- Location
- Ridgefield, Connecticut
- Charges
- Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers and Aiding and Abetting (2 counts); Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Civil Disorder; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Case status
- Pleaded not guilty; Convicted; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
A federal grand jury has indicted Patrick McCaughey III on nine counts. Federal investigators say that McCaughey was in the front line of rioters and that he used a police riot shield to pin Officer Daniel Hodges between the shield and a door. In a widely circulated video, Officer Hodges is seen crying out in pain. Another rioter ripped off Officer Hodges’ gas mask exposing his bloodied mouth. Investigators identified McCaughey with the help of a tip from someone who knew him and from his appearance and voice in several different videos, according to court documents. “Even after days of seeing so many shocking and horrific scenes from the siege on the U.S. Capitol, the savage beating of D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Hodges stands out for the perpetrator’s blatant disregard for human life,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Patrick McCaughey’s actions were violent, barbaric, and completely out of control.”
Case History
McCaughey pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. Bench Trial was held 8/29/2022-9/7/2022. On 9/13/2022, McCaughey was found guilty of nine charges - seven felony charges and two misdemeanor charges. Sentenced on 4/14/2023 to 90 Months of Incarceration; 24 Months of Supervised Release; Special Assessment of $720; Restitution of $2,000. McCaughey received a full pardon on January 20, 2025
Sources
- Primary Documentation
NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR - Primary Documentation
Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR - Supporting Reporting
NPR video evidence pageNPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.