Retired NASCAR driver and son arrested for alleged assaults on police during Jan. 6 riot

Tighe Scott and his son Jarret Scott face two felony offenses each.

June 5, 2024, 3:52 PM

A retired NASCAR driver and his son were arrested Wednesday and charged along with two other Pennsylvania men for allegedly assaulting police during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office.

Tighe Scott, 75, and his son Jarret Scott, 48, face two felony offenses each as well as a multiple misdemeanor offenses for a series of alleged assaults prosecutors say they engaged in outside the Capitol among the pro-Trump mob.

Charging documents show the FBI confirmed Tighe Scott's identity in part because a witness told agents he was a retired NASCAR driver.

Scott competed in dirt racing events before moving into the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While he recorded no career wins in NASCAR, he had multiple top-10 finishes and made several appearances at the Daytona 500, including a sixth place finish in 1979.

The two Scotts were arrested along with another Pennsylvania father and son, Scott Alex Slater Jr. and Scott Slater Sr., all of whom prosecutors say physically and verbally harassed law enforcement trying to protect the Capitol -- using a variety of objects like flagpoles, golf clubs and an "Area Closed" sign to throw or strike against a line of police trying to control the mob.

The four men were seen in video footage of the Stop the Steal rally earlier the day of the riot. During the rally, according to a criminal complaint, the men went to the Capitol building and "began yelling at the line of officers attempting to clear the area."

Slater Jr. allegedly yelled "f--- you motherf-----" before throwing a flagpole and the "Area Closed" sign toward the line of officers.

PHOTO: Tighe Scott of Pen Argyle, PA, made his NASCAR Cup debut at Talladega Super speedway driving this Chevrolet for car owner Walter Ballard in the Winston 500, finishing in 17th position, May 2 1976.
Tighe Scott of Pen Argyle, PA, made his NASCAR Cup debut at Talladega Super speedway driving this Chevrolet for car owner Walter Ballard in the Winston 500, finishing in 17th position, May 2 1976.
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All four men "resisted and confronted the police line," the complaint states, with the two Scotts allegedly pushing into officer's shields, the younger Scott allegedly wielding a golf club.

At one point, Tighe Scott allegedly "attempted to rip the shield" out of an officer's hands, but was pushed away and fell backward. Jarrett Scott was knocked backward by his father falling, the complaint states, and allegedly jeered at officers, directing several profanities at them.

None of the men currently have attorneys listed. They were set to make their initial appearances in federal court in Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

More than 1,424 people had been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot as of May 6 -- about 820 of whom have pleaded guilty, according to the Justice Department.

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