Crime & Justice

Geophysicist Accused of Beating Cop at Capitol Riot Locked Up After Trying to Flee to Switzerland

TAKING THE SWISS

Jeffrey Sabol allegedly booked a flight to Europe, but abandoned the plan when he spotted law enforcement officers at the airport.

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Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

A 51-year-old Colorado geophysicist accused of beating up a cop at the Capitol riot will not be released before his trial because he allegedly made a bumbling attempt to flee to Switzerland following the insurrection. Jeffrey Sabol made headlines after his arrest in mid-January when he denied dragging a Capitol police officer down a flight of stairs and punching him—an incident that was caught on camera—by claiming he was just “patting him on the back” and saying “We got you man.” A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Sabol will remain locked up until his trial after his apparent attempt to escape justice by flying to Zurich. He allegedly booked the flight to Europe, where he believed he would be safe from extradition, but abandoned the plan after spotting law-enforcement officers at the airport. Sabol’s lawyers argued that he has “recovered from the episode” and should be allowed to return to his family, but Judge Emmet Sullivan wrote: “Considering the steps he took to flee to Switzerland to avoid arrest, Mr. Sabol is the epitome of a flight risk.”

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