Maine man convicted of 11 charges stemming from Capitol riot

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Maine man who joined rioters at the U.S. Capitol was convicted Tuesday of 11 charges including assaulting, resisting or impeding police officers.

Kyle Fitzsimons, 39, of Lebanon, charged to the front line on Jan. 6, 2021, and assaulted officers including three from the Metropolitan and Capitol Police Departments who testified against him. He also charged the line twice while wildly swinging his fists, prosecutors said.

Fitzsimons faced the most serious charges stemming from the attempt to stop or delay the counting of electoral votes. A widely shared photo captured him with a bloody face on that day.

One of the officers testified Fitzsimons pulled back his gas mask so fellow rioters could attack him with chemical spray. A second officer said she was hit by a bow that prosecutors say Fitzsimons brought from Maine and threw at officers. A third testified Fitzsimons jerked away his shield, damaging his shoulder, necessitating surgery.

The defense contended Fitzsimons went to Washington to support a constitutional and legal process, in which elected members of Congress could have voted against certifying the presidential vote.

Fitzsimons will be sentenced at a later date. The seven felony charges carry a maximum of penalty of 91 years in prison, prosecutors said.