"You have stolen moments away from me"

Ryan Samsel of Pennsylvania has been in custody since February, after he allegedly took part violence during the Capitol riot that left five people dead and more than 140 officers injured. Among those injured was a female officer who Samsel allegedly assaulted by pushing her, causing her to fall and hit her head on the stairs behind her, which resulted in a concussion, federal prosecutors said in a recent court filing. On Friday, the unidentified officer’s statement was read in federal court to oppose Samsel’s recent request for a pretrial release. The officer described how Samsel “purposefully came in through the west front of the Capitol and purposefully knocked me down.” “When you set out to injure another human being, you’re not only committing assault, but you are a thief,” the officer said in the statement, which was read by a federal prosecutor in court. “You took someone’s ability to have control over their own body and lead a normal life. You have stolen moments away from me that I can’t get back.”