Montana fire chief who had refused vaccine mandate in Washington state charged in Jan. 6 riot

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Montana fire chief who lost a previous job over a coronavirus vaccine mandate has been charged with spraying a chemical irritant on police officers during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors say in court documents unsealed Wednesday that Frank Dahlquist sprayed “an orange-colored chemical agent” directly into the face of one officer and later sprayed a second officer as supporters of former president Donald Trump attacked the Capitol building. He was identified from a TV news story about firefighters who were terminated from a fire department near Seattle after the agency required a COVID-19 vaccination. No lawyer was listed for Dahlquist in court records, and he did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.