US soldier arrested for allegedly assaulting police officer in Jan. 6 riot

Lauren Taylor

AN ACTIVE-DUTY U.S. ARMY SOLDIER HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR HIS ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN THE JANUARY 6 CAPITOL RIOT.

31-YEAR-OLD ALEXANDER CAIN POPLIN WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY AT SCHOFIELD BARRACKS NEAR HONOLULU AND IS FACING MULTIPLE FELONY CHARGES, INCLUDING ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON AND INTERFERING WITH POLICE DURING A CIVIL DISORDER.

POPLIN IS ACCUSED OF REPEATEDLY STRIKING A METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER WITH A FLAGPOLE DURING THE CAPITOL BREACH, AS PROSECUTORS SAY HIS CRIMES WERE CAPTURED ON MULTIPLE CAMERAS.

DURING THE JANUARY 6TH RIOT — POPLIN WAS REPORTEDLY SEEN IN A RESTRICTED AREA CARRYING AN ‘AREA CLOSED’ SIGN AND A FLAGPOLE WITH A BLUE FLAG.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE INVESTIGATION, THE FBI LOOKED INTO POPLIN’S SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY, INCLUDING A TIP RECEIVED IN FEBRUARY 2021 ABOUT HIS FACEBOOK POSTS INDICATING INTENTIONS TO ATTACK POLICE DURING THE RIOT.

(FOR WP ONLY: POPLIN ALLEGEDLY POSTED STATEMENTS SUCH AS ‘WE TOOK OUR HOUSE BACK’ AND ‘WE BEAT THEIR F****ING A** AND STOOD FOR SOMETHING’ AFTER THE EVENTS OF JANUARY 6.)

POPLIN WAS SET TO HAVE A COURT APPEARANCE LATE WEDNESDAY. NO INFORMATION FROM THAT SCHEDULED APPEARANCE HAS YET BEEN MADE KNOWN. LAWYERS FOR POPLIN, SO FAR, HAVE NOT ANSWERED MEDIA REQUESTS FOR COMMENT.

3.5 YEARS AFTER JANUARY 6TH AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTINUES INVESTIGATING THE ASSAULT. NEARLY 1,500 INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN CHARGED ACROSS NEARLY ALL 50 STATES.

FOR SAN, I’M LT