Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 55
- Location
- Boothwyn, Pennsylvania
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Robert Sanford, a retired firefighter, allegedly struck three U.S. Capitol police officers with a fire extinguisher. Court documents state that “the fire extinguisher struck one officer, who was wearing a helmet, in the head; then, the fire extinguisher ricochets striking a second officer, who was not wearing a helmet, in the head; and ricochets a third time and strikes a third officer, wearing a helmet, in the head.” According to court documents, Sanford allegedly told a tipster he had traveled to Washington, D.C. by bus with a group. He also said he went to the White House, listened to former President Trump's speech and then followed the president's instructions to go to the Capitol. A press statement from the office of Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland of Chester, Pa., describes Sanford as a member of the Chester Fire Department from January 1994 until his retirement in February 2020. The statement also cites that “while Robert Sanford adorned a hat with a Fire Department logo, he is not a current employee of the city of Chester” and that “city officials are aware that a former Chester Firefighter allegedly attended and participated in the insurrection that took place in our nation’s capital."
Case History
Sanford pleaded Guilty to one charge: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 4/11/2023 to 52 Months of incarceration; 36 months of supervised release (with conditions); Restitution: $5,798; Special Assessment: $100. Sanford 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
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.