Ohio man accused of bringing huge ‘Trump’ sign to Capitol for rioters to use as weapon

An Ohio man was arrested Tuesday on charges that he brought a huge “Trump” sign to the U.S. Capitol and joined other protesters in using it as a weapon against police officers during a mob attack.

Jeffrey Newcomb, 41, of Polk, Ohio, apparently posted on social media that he brought the personalized metal-framed sign to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, “because bullets are expensive,” according to an agent’s statement. from the FBI The sign was approximately 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide, with wheels the size of a person’s head, the affidavit says.

In March 2023, a message posted to a Twitter account linked to Newcomb included photos of the sign in the midst of a crowd of Donald Trump supporters who gathered in front of the Capitol on January 6.

“I went until January 6th to peacefully protest in the loudest way possible: with 13-by-10-foot signs on custom-built aluminum boxcars. I spent $700 on it. Keep my identity a secret because bullets are expensive,” the post said.

The Twitter account, now called X, has since been deleted.

Several other Capitol riot defendants have been accused of using the large Trump sign as a battering ram to assault police officers and breach police lines outside the Capitol.

Newcomb was expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday in Ohio following his arrest in Polk. Court records did not immediately name an attorney representing him.

Newcomb is accused in a criminal complaint of assaulting police officers and interfering with officers during a civil disorder.

Videos show Newcomb moving his large sign near Trump’s Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally. Other protesters helped him carry the sign to the crowd in the Capitol’s West Plaza.

“Protesters cheered the arrival of the sign and many in the crowd helped move the sign closer and closer to the police line,” the FBI agent wrote.

Newcomb dropped the sign just before other protesters pushed her into a police line. But he pressured other protesters who continued to pressure police, the officer said.

“As the police were struck by the sign, they could have easily been knocked over due to the size of the frame, and the sharp edges and corners were easily capable of causing sharp or cracked injuries,” the agent wrote. “Ultimately, it took more than a dozen officers to completely move the sign away from the line.”

More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes in connection with the Capitol riots. Approximately 1,200 of them pleaded guilty or were convicted after trials decided by judges and juries. And more than 1,000 of the defendants were convicted, with about two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years.