Soldier arrested at Schofield Barracks for January 6 assault

Private Alexander Cain Poplin was arrested at a Hawaii Army base on charges of assaulting a police officer on January 6, 2021. This arrest occurred a day after Poplin was separated from the Army. Poplin served in the Army National Guard from December 2012 through December 2018. He later joined the Army as an infantryman in April 2023.

From Military.com:

Poplin had been on the FBI’s radar since February 2021, according to court records. Army officials did not immediately respond to questions about how Poplin was able to join the active-duty military while under investigation, but it appears that the FBI did not identify him as a soldier until this summer, court records indicate.

Through video and images, the FBI observed Poplin at the Capitol wearing a black jacket, beanie, medical mask and an Army-camouflage backpack. Throughout the day, he was observed carrying multiple flags, including a blue Trump 2020 flag, court records said.

Court documents allege that Poplin repeatedly struck a Metropolitan Police Department officer with a blue flag that afternoon. Footage from body-worn cameras and open-source video captured the assault, the Department of Justice said in a release Wednesday.

“Court documents say that Poplin’s alleged actions at the Lower West Plaza contributed to the chaos as rioters confronted law enforcement officers who were defending the Capitol,” the release said.

After the riot, court records allege that Poplin boasted about the assault on social media, stating that “we beat their f—ing ass and stood for something” and “we took our house back.”

The listed attorney for Poplin was unavailable to comment about her client’s arrest this week after Military.com called her office Thursday.

Additional Reading:

Lawrence, D. F. (2024, September 12). Feds arrest Soldier at Schofield Barracks for Jan.6 assault on police – A day after he was booted. Military.com. Link.

Category: 2020 Election, Veterans in the news