A former Chester firefighter, Robert Sanford Jr., pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officers on Jan. 6, 2021, writes Max Bennett for Patch.

Federal authorities said Sanford, 57, pleaded guilty in federal court to throwing a fire extinguisher at three officers while in the mob storming the Capitol building Jan. 6.

The officer was struck in the head. 

Sanford also threw a traffic cone toward officers, calling them “traitors,” according to federal authorities.

 Sanford was a member of the Chester Fire Department from January 1994 to February 2020, according to Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland,

Sanford was seen on video and in photos wearing a Chester Fire Department winter hat.

“While Robert Sanford adorned a hat with a Fire Department logo, he is not a current employee of the city of Chester,” Kirkland said. The mayor said the actions of the rioters hinged on characteristics of domestic terrorism.

Sanford was arrested by Philadelphia FBI agents on Jan. 14, 2021.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, 2023 and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, as well as potential financial penalties.

Read more at Patch about the guilty plea of Robert Sanford Jr. in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.