440 have been arrested in the Capitol riot investigation but the FBI is still looking for suspects accused of vicious attacks on officers
The Department of Justice said as of Thursday, they had arrested approximately 440 people in connection with the Capitol riot on January 6. But four months after the attack, the FBI is still searching for suspects accused of vicious attacks on officers and members of the media.
Of the 440 arrested so far, CBS News has independently reviewed the cases of 400 defendants. More than 100 of those were charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employees, including more than 35 charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon.
Around 140 officers were assaulted that day, the Justice Department has said, and the search continues for some of the most high-profile assailants.
One suspect still on the FBI's wanted list is the person accused of grabbing and trying to tear off the face mask of D.C. Metropolitan police officer Daniel Hodges, who was filmed screaming out in pain as he was crushed in a doorway while a mob of rioters attempted to breach the police line and enter the Capitol.
In an interview with CBS News, Hodges said that in videos, you can see the assailant grabbing his gas mask, beating his head against the door, and ripping it away. Hodges said, "I definitely considered that that might be it. I might not be able to make it out of there."
Authorities are also still searching for two people accused of assaulting officers who were pulled into the crowd and dragged down Capitol stairs during the siege.
One suspect, photographed in a red hat and bandana with what appears to be a tactical vest, was on top of one officer who was dragged into the crowd, while another suspect with a beard and baseball cap allegedly assaulted another officer with a pole, the Justice Department said.
Another man, Peter Stager, has been charged in the same attack for allegedly hitting one officer with a flagpole. Two close associates spoke to the FBI to help them identify him from videos.
Another man, in a red cap, red jacket, white mask and light blue jeans was seen in the vicinity of the Speaker's lobby, where rioter Ashli Babbitt was shot. He was seen throwing what appeared to be a 2x4 through a window, kicking in doors in the hallway and assaulting members of the media.
The FBI is seeking the public's help to identify the Capitol riot suspects that remain on their wanted list, with an emphasis placed on suspects accused of assaulting law enforcement or targeting members of the media. The FBI has also offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the person or people responsible for placing pipe bombs in Washington, D.C.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said in March that citizens from around the country had sent the agency more than 270,000 digital media tips. Tips from family, friends and ex-lovers have led to the arrests of rioters accused of some of the most brutal attacks on officers that day.
Close associates turned in Patrick McCaughey, who is alleged to have pinned officer Hodges to the door with a police riot shield. Reed Christensen, who was arrested and accused of striking officers and initiating the "aggressive" removal of police barriers, was turned in by his own son. And George Tanios, who was charged with conspiring to assault Officer Brian Sicknick with a chemical spray, was turned in by a former business partner after their relationship went sour, the Justice Department said.
The Capitol riot defendants come from 45 states in addition to Washington, D.C., and the average age of known defendants is 42, according to documents reviewed by CBS News. Of the defendants, authorities have linked more than 50 to extremist groups including the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and the conspiracy ideology, QAnon.
According to a review of service records and court documents, CBS News has also found that at least 44 defendants are current or former members of the military, four of whom are currently enlisted. At least 10 of the defendants have worked as law enforcement officers.