Accused Jan. 6th rioter Mikhail Edward Slye, dubbed ‘JackTheTripper’ by online sleuths, faces felony for allegedly assaulting law enforcement with a bike rack.
An accused U.S. Capitol rioter dubbed with the hashtag #JackTheTripper by online sleuths for allegedly attacking police with a bike rack now faces felony charges of assaulting law enforcement and civil disorder.
Prosecutors allege that 32-year-old Pennsylvania resident Mikhail Edward Slye is the man given the double-entendre nickname by the group Sedition Hunters, a crowdsourced effort to assist law enforcement in the U.S. Capitol breach investigation.
“Slye used a bike rack type barricade to intentionally trip a Capitol Police Officer, identified below as D.T., while the officer and his team were attempting to rescue another officer caught in the crowd,” the FBI’s 17-page affidavit states.
The FBI credits Sedition Hunters with a breakthrough in the investigation some six months later on June 18, 2021, when the group posted the suspect’s photographs and alleged crime in a graphic sporting their “SH” logo.
Sedition Hunters graphic of “JackTheTripper,” embedded in the FBI affidavit.
Months later, on Aug. 16, 2021, the FBI interviewed D.T., the officer whom Slye allegedly tripped.
“D.T. indicated that he suffered injuries as a direct result of the tripping incident,” the affidavit states.
Like numerous other Jan. 6-related defendants, Slye allegedly courted his identification and arrest by speaking in a YouTube video on the day of the U.S. Capitol breach.
“The video is titled ‘Stop The Steal Rally – Jan 6, 2021’ and is approximately 32 minutes and 22 seconds in length,” the affidavit states. “In the approximately 54 second segment that features Slye, he answers several questions posed by the interviewer. This ‘interview’ video allowed investigators to identify the clothing that Slye was wearing on January 6, 2021 which was a black ‘Trump’ stocking cap featuring the former President’s signature, a blue coat splatter with what appears to be white paint, a grey hooded sweatshirt and a yellow kerchief type mask with what appear to be speech bubbles on it.”
Authorities say that another video “captures Slye throw the bike rack type barrier in front of Officer J.T., tripping him and causing him to fall down the flight of stairs.”
“When J.T. falls onto the landing, he slides for approximately a foot revealing the force behind the fall,” the affidavit states. “The video only captures a black gloved hand throwing the barrier. After J.T. is tripped, the video pans to the crowd and reveals that Slye was the individual who threw the barrier. Slye is wearing the same clothing as featured above but has his mask pulled up to hide his face.”
The FBI says that Slye’s face was exposed again after police deployed pepper spray in him in controlling the riotous mob.
“At this point, Slye’s face mask has slipped down to his chin,” the affidavit states.
After that, Slye was captured in a photograph posted on Instagram having his eyes flushed with water, authorities say.
The FBI says that this photo, posted on Instagram, shows Mikhail Edward Slye’s eyes getting flushed with water after being pepper-sprayed by police.
Prosecutors say that Slye also illegally entered the Capitol, twice.
In addition to the two felony counts against him, Slye also faces six misdemeanors. He was arrested on Friday and had an appearance scheduled in in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Now more than 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors have arrested more than 870 people in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the U.S. Capitol breach. More than 265 people stand accused of assaulting or impeding law enforcement, including with pepper spray, fire extinguishers, a PVC pole, a flagpole, a Taser, and other objects and weapons.
Read the FBI’s affidavit, below: