Search underway for New Jersey man wanted in connection to Jan. 6 attack

Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Local and federal law enforcement agencies searched the New Jersey woods Wednesday for a former National Guard police sergeant wanted in connection to the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol.

The hunt for Gregory Yetman, 46, of Helmetta, N.J., began about 8 a.m. Wednesday after he fled into the woods when law enforcement approached his house, police said. FBI Newark SWAT, the Jamesburg Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office were searching for Yetman but did not provide details about any charges or his alleged role in the attack.

Throughout the day, tactical teams searched backyards, setting off flashing grenades that echoed through the neighborhood. Helmetta Mayor Chris Slavicek said some roads were closed in the small town located about 40 miles from New York City.

Slavicek said the law enforcement activity was "not the normal and absolutely unsettling," adding that law enforcement's goal was to "detain this gentleman today." He also said Yetman is "no stranger to this community" but "isn't out to harm any of the residents."

Earlier this year, USA Today named Yetman in an article about the Capitol riot. Yetman gave an interview to the paper, saying he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 but he wasn't the person spraying officers with pepper spray. He told USA Today the FBI interviewed him in January 2021 and didn't hear from the bureau after that.

"Everything's been resolved, everything's good," he told USA Today.