Proud Boy who smashed Capitol window at riot denies any plot

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A member of the Proud Boys far-right extremist group who smashed out of a window at the U.S. Capitol, allowing some of the first Jan. 6 rioters to enter the building, has testified he acted alone. Dominic Pezzola is one of five Proud Boys facing seditious conspiracy and other charges in one of the most high-profile trials to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. He’s the second defendant to take the stand, a potentially risky legal move as the long-running trial inches to a close. He said Wednesday that he took a police riot shield to protect himself from rubber bullets and smashed the window without thinking through exactly what he was doing.