Image via FBI
A Georgia man accused of striking and kicking police officers while armed with mace and a boot knife outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 has pleaded guilty to assault.
Kevin Creek, appearing by video, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich on Tuesday.
Creek assaulted multiple law enforcement officers while on the West Terrace of the Capitol building along with scores of Donald Trump supporters looking to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election, according to prosecutors. Creek is seen on body-worn camera footage kicking an officer with his right foot as the officer holds up a shield to protect himself.
He is also seen striking an officer with his right hand.
Image via FBI
Under the federal assault statute to which Creek is pleading guilty, he could face a maximum eight years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Another Jan. 6 defendant, Scott Fairlamb, pleaded guilty under the same statute as well as to a federal obstruction statute; he was sentenced to 41 months in prison (and has since filed a notice of appeal).
According court documents, Creek initially told investigators that he was live streaming on Jan. 6 and posted both the video stream and still photos on his Facebook account.
“Creek deleted those photos once he returned home,” according to charging documents. “Creek stated he may have heard about the protest from his twitter account (handle @KevinDCreek) but stated he could not remember for certain.”
When investigators showed Creek the video of himself allegedly assaulting the federal officers, Creek “admitted the videos looked like him” but said that he “did not remember assaulting any officer.”
Creek did eventually admit to being the person in photos, and he said that he was armed with mace and a boot knife while at the Capitol, the charging documents continued.
“When asked if Creek regretted his conduct on January 6th, he responded: ’50/50,'” the documents say.
In the days following the attack, Creek apparently shared details of what he did at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“On January 10, 2021, a complainant reported to the FBI that on January 9, 2021 or January 10, 2021, an individual named Kevin Creek made comments while visiting Northside Forsyth Hospital about his involvement at the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021,” says a statement of facts attached to a criminal complaint. “Creek disclosed that he was tear gassed at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Creek discussed running up the stairs of the Capitol building and attempting to get inside. Creek talked about having trouble at the door he ran to because the police were gassing individuals at his door. Creek also mentioned he was bruised from his activity at the Capitol and admitted to a long car ride to get to DC. Creek made general comments regarding always being armed but did not directly say whether he was armed at the Capitol.”
In addition to assault, Creek was also charged with disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, physical violence on Capitol grounds, and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder.
According to his LinkedIn page, Creek is the owner of a company called Nailed It Roofing and Restoration. He also lists four years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, although the government’s complaint does not address his military career. He was 46 years old at the time of his arrest in June, according to the Department of Justice.
Sentencing has been set for March 10, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Friedrich, a Trump appointee, said that the video of Creek assaulting the officers must be made public before that time.
Read the complaint against Creek below.
[images via the FBI by way of federal court documents]
