Michael Foy, 30, of Wixom, was described by prosecutors as “among the most violent of all participants” during the attack in Washington, D.C.
Foy, a former U.S. Marine, is accused of attacking police with a hockey stick wrapped in a Donald Trump flag at least 10 times as they guarded the entrance to the building. He also threw what appeared to be a “sharpened pole” at the officers.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Morris ordered Foy remain detained until his case is moved to the district court in Washington, D.C., citing concerns about his mental health and the allegations of violence against him.
According to a written statement from Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Moon, Foy was videoed striking police officers with a hockey stick nearly a dozen times on January 6.
“Not satisfied with assault, he then appears to have rallied others to join him before crawling through a destroyed window and into the Capitol, weapon in hand,” Moon said.
Moon said the scene inside the Capitol became “chaotic, graphic, and brutal.”
“Rioters hurled projectiles at the officers and physically assaulted them, often using weapons like poles, bottles, and, in Foy’s case, a hockey stick,” Moon added.
“Several officers were dragged into the crowd, stripped of their protective gear, and beaten. Other rioters used crowbars and other tools to knock the windows out of the Capitol so rioters could enter.
“At one point, before the worst of the melee began, Foy threw what appears to be a sharpened pole at the officers. A few seconds later, one of the rioters rushed the officers, knocking one of them to the ground. Foy jumped at the opportunity, immediately rushing towards the officers with his hockey stick raised.”
Other videos allegedly show Foy assaulting a Capitol Police officer who was on the ground trying to protect himself.
“Foy’s conduct here is some of the most violent that occurred at the riot on January 6,” Moon said. “He, a former Marine trained in combat, brought a hockey stick to a riot at the Capitol, and when things started to get out of hand, he took a leading role in the violence.”
When FBI agents arrested Foy at his home on January 21, they found a hockey stick at his residence.
Foy’s attorney, Colleen Fitzharris, raised her client’s military service and lack of prior criminal convictions while arguing he should be released from custody.
“When we look beyond a single day in a 30-year life, we see a steady history of compliant, law-abiding behavior,” Fitzharris said.
Foy has also reportedly been struggling with alcohol addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Foy is charged with entering a restricted building with the intent to disrupt government business while carrying a dangerous weapon, interfering with law enforcement during civil disorder, forcibly assaulting an officer of the U.S., and obstructing an official proceeding.
