Robert Scott Palmer Charged Assault On A Federal Officer With Fire Extinguisher During Capitol Riots

Footage from the January 6 Capitol Insurrection had several memorable characters, but one of the comparatively covert figures was a man popularly called #FloridaFlagJacket who can be seen throwing a fire extinguisher into a crowd of Capitol police. The man has now been identified as Clearwater, Florida’s Robert Scott Palmer, and he now has been charged with assaulting/resisting/impeding officers, engaging in civil disorder and entering restricted building or grounds.

Citizen private investigators first found Palmer’s identity on March 5 and forwarded their tips to the FBI. Agents subsequently arrested Palmer in Florida, and he stood before a federal judge on Wednesday. Palmer was released on $25,000 bail.

Soon after Palmer was identified as a member of the Capitol insurrection, his lawyer asserted that, “I contacted the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and let them know that [Palmer] wasn’t going anywhere, and if they were looking to arrest him he would self-surrender,” attorney Bjorn Brunvand told Huffpost.

“He regrets his involvement,” Brunvand explained. “He can’t change what happened, but he can show everyone that there’s not going to be any more problems from his end.”

Article by Brandon Mumei