Judge orders detention of man accused of hurling fire extinguisher at Capitol Police

A general view of the Lehigh County Jail, where retired fireman Robert Sanford was due to appear in connection with the U.S. Capitol riots, before a federal judge, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S., January 14, 2021. REUTERS/Mark Makela

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday ordered a retired firefighter in Pennsylvania to be detained pending trial, after prosecutors filed charges alleging he hurled a fire extinguisher at police during last week's mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Magistrate Judge Henry Perkin for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said the alleged actions of Robert Sanford, 55, of Chester, Pennsylvania, posed a "danger to the community" as well as to "democracy and our legislators."