Ashland gynecologist charged with punching cop in the head during failed Capitol coup

Dr. Jacquelyn Starer, an Ashland gynecologist and addiction-recovery specialist affiliated with Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, was arrested today on charges she didn't just enter the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attempted putsch, she punched a Washington cop in the left side of her head.

Starer, 68, is scheduled for an initial appearance in US District Court in Boston this afternoon on charges of forcibly assaulting and impeding federal officers, civil disorder, knowingly engaging in physical violence in a restricted building and engaging in physical violence in a Capitol building.

In an affidavit, based in part on an interview with a Metropolitan police officer and images from her body-worn camera, an FBI agent describes how Starer went on the attack once inside the Capitol:

The body-worn camera footage records STARER approach MPD officers and make contact with an MPD officer at approximately 2:59 p.m. Images ... depict STARER striking an MPD Officer at approximately 2:59 p.m.

Law enforcement identified the officer in question as Officer M.B., who was interviewed regarding the events of January 6, 2021. Officer M.B. is an MPD Officer who responded to the Capitol during the riot. Officer M.B. stated that a blonde woman wearing a red jacket and hat punched her in the left side of her head. According to Officer M.B., her Sergeant pulled her back to check on her, Officer M.B. told the Sergeant she had been punched by the woman, and the Sergeant told her to return to the line. Officer M.B. stated that the blonde woman came at her again, and Officer M.B. struck the woman in response. During her interview, Officer M.B. recognized the blonde woman who hit her at timestamp 14:59:28 in footage taken from her body-worn camera.

Based on your affiant’s review of open-source video and images, the crowd became more agitated and a physical altercation between rioters and officers ensued as the officers attempted to restrict the rioters from passing through the archway entrance to the area behind them. STARER appears to have been affected by the chemical irritant that was deployed during the altercation.

According to the affidavit, Starer came under investigation just five days after the failed coup when a tipster dropped a dime on her.

Tipster-1 stated they were aware prior to the events of January 6, 2021 that STARER planned to attend a march on the Capitol. According to Tipster-1, prior to January 6, 2021, STARER bragged to a mutual acquaintance that she "was prepared" for it, with a mesh knife-proof shirt and bottles of pepper spray.

An FBI review of open-source and published photos quickly led them to identify Starer outside the Capitol and then entering it in an attempt to forcibly keep the former president in office.

Complete affidavit (1.9M PDF).

In addition to serving Ob/Gyn patients, Starer, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1979, also provides addiction treatment, according to her state record.

Innocent, etc.