A Massachusetts doctor was hit with felony charges this week after she stormed the U.S. Capitol and punched a police officer on Jan. 6, 2021.
Jacquelyn Starer, MD, from Ashland, was Tuesday, including charges for civil disorder and assaulting a police officer during the Capitol breach. The physician is also facing charges for illegal entry of restricted grounds and engaging in physical violence on the property, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
She is the second physician arrested for her role in the storming of the Capitol. Simone Gold, MD, JD, served prison time this year for trespassing during the insurrection.
Starer, 68, is to practice addiction medicine and obstetrics/gynecology in Massachusetts. She previously worked as a per diem employee at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, but is no longer actively employed there, a spokesperson from Mass General Brigham confirmed to 番茄社区.
Video footage captured Starer at the "Stop the Steal" rally, wearing red clothing and a hat that had "TRUMP" and the number 45 emblazoned on it, according to the FBI's . Right before 3:00 p.m., officials saw the doctor enter the Capitol building through the East Rotunda doors in a crowd of other rioters.
After she entered the building, Starer approached a group of Capitol police officers and punched one of them, body camera footage showed.
The police officer attacked by Starer later said in an interview with investigators that "a blonde woman wearing a red jacket and hat punched her in the left side of her head," the complaint noted. When Starer came at the officer again, the officer was prompted to strike back in response.
The crowd became more agitated, and police officers attempted to stop them from continuing on inside the Capitol, the court documents stated. Starer appeared to be affected by a "chemical irritant" deployed on the protesters, and later received first aid assistance to her eyes and face, videos showed.
The FBI began investigating Starer's involvement in the Capitol riot after it received a tip 5 days after the attack. An online tipster told prosecutors that Starer bragged to a friend that she was "prepared" for the riot, armed with bottles of pepper spray and wearing a mesh, knife-proof shirt, according to the complaint.
When someone who worked with Starer was asked by prosecutors in July to identify the physician in photos of the riot, the co-worker stated, "that's Jackie."
Starer made an initial court appearance on the day of her arrest, according to .
Nearly 2 years after the Capitol riot, Starer joins around 900 others who have been arrested for participating in the rally, the DOJ stated. Almost 300 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, the agency said.
Starer's arrest follows the decision by the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on Monday to refer former President Donald Trump to the DOJ for criminal charges. The vote marks the culmination of an 18-month investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol.