Share with:

Former NYPD officer gets longest January 6 riot sentence yet

Thomas Webster sentenced to 10 years in prison for assaulting an officer during January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.

Still from police footage shows Thomas Webster at a barricade line during the January 6 Capitol riot — This still frame from a Metropolitan Police Department body camera video shows Thomas Webster, in the red jacket, at a barricade line at on the west front of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 [Metropolitan Police Department via AP Photo]

Published On 1 Sep 20221 Sep 2022

A retired New York Police Department (NYPD) officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for assaulting an officer with a flagpole during last year’s attack on the United States Capitol, the longest sentence handed out so far in relation to the January 6 riot.

Thomas Webster, a 20-year veteran of the NYPD, was sentenced on Thursday after being found guilty in May of assaulting a Washington, DC police officer during the riot.

KEEP READING

list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3

US Capitol riot: Proud Boys ‘recruit’ sentenced to over 4 years

list 2 of 3

What have we learned from the January 6 hearings?

list 3 of 3

More-than-5-year prison term matches longest for Capitol riot

end of list

US District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced the 56-year-old to 10 years in prison plus three years of supervised release, but allowed Webster to report to prison at a date to be determined instead of immediately ordering him into custody.

“Mr Webster, I don’t think you’re a bad person,” the judge said on Thursday. “I think you were caught up in a moment. But as you know, even getting caught up in a moment has consequences.”

About 250 people have been punished for participating in the riot at the Capitol, which saw a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters storm the building in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=dbtljNk1BjM%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den-US%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

In a court filing, prosecutors accused Webster of “disgracing a democracy”.

“Each individual attack on an officer at the West Plaza weakened the defensive line, fueled the crowd, and brought the rioters one step closer toward disrupting our democracy,” they wrote.

Webster was the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on assault charges and argued that he had acted in self-defence against a “rogue cop” who had instigated the fight.

https://05806a4976494a752d7fbbb274a12d98.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

A jury rejected that claim and found that Webster had tackled Metropolitan Police Department officer Noah Rathbun and grabbed his gas mask outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Body camera footage showed Webster yelling at Rathbun and then slamming a bike rack at him.

In May, jurors convicted Webster of all six counts in his indictment, including a charge that he assaulted Rathbun with a dangerous weapon, the flagpole.

Sign up for Al Jazeera

Americas Coverage Newsletter

US politics, Canada’s multiculturalism, South America’s geopolitical rise—we bring you the stories that matter.Sign up

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Federal prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of 17 years and six months, claiming that Webster had played an important role as the crowd charged police barricades at the Capitol’s Lower West Plaza.

Defence lawyer James Monroe argued that Webster was “swept up in the fervour of the large crowd” but did not join other rioters in entering the Capitol building.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xfZD6VqApiE%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den-US%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

Webster drove alone to Washington, DC, from his home near Goshen, New York, on the eve of the January 6 “Stop the Steal” rally, where Trump delivered an incendiary speech to thousands of supporters.

Webster was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a Marine Corps flag on a metal pole when he joined the crowd that stormed the Capitol.

Webster said he went to the Capitol to ask legislators to “relook” at the results of the 2020 presidential election but claimed that he did not intend to interfere with Congress’s efforts to certify Biden’s victory.

https://05806a4976494a752d7fbbb274a12d98.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

“I wish the horrible events of that day had never happened,” he told the judge on Thursday.

Mehta said Rathbun, the police officer, was not Webster’s only victim on January 6. “The other victim was democracy, and that is not something that can be taken lightly,” the judge added.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

This content is created and paid for by advertisers and does not involve Al Jazeera journalists.

https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=8824&numAds=1&cf=1761.540.AlJazeera&tcString=&can_serve_ads=true&canServeAds=true&canCookie=true&canProgrammatic=true&canDmp=true&partner_tcf_status=2.0&partnerTcfStatus=2.0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F9%2F1%2Fformer-nypd-officer-gets-longest-january-6-riot-sentence-yet&unitId=dianomi-8824-YxFM-BYiLP2z87L0URK74QAAAAs3

https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=8825&numAds=1&cf=1761.540.AlJazeera&tcString=&can_serve_ads=true&canServeAds=true&canCookie=true&canProgrammatic=true&canDmp=true&partner_tcf_status=2.0&partnerTcfStatus=2.0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F9%2F1%2Fformer-nypd-officer-gets-longest-january-6-riot-sentence-yet&unitId=dianomi-8825-YxFM-BYiLP2z87L0URK74QAAAAs1https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=8826&numAds=3&start=2&cf=1761.540.AlJazeera&tcString=&can_serve_ads=true&canServeAds=true&canCookie=true&canProgrammatic=true&canDmp=true&partner_tcf_status=2.0&partnerTcfStatus=2.0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F9%2F1%2Fformer-nypd-officer-gets-longest-january-6-riot-sentence-yet&unitId=dianomi-8826-YxFM-BYiLP2z87L0URK74QAAAAs2

LISTEN TO THESE PODCASTS

play

From: The Inside Story PodcastWhat’s behind the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s home?FBI agents raided the house of former US president Donald Trump, who said the search of his Florida residence is part of a…

play

From: The Inside Story PodcastCan Myanmar return to democracy?There’s global outrage after Myanmar executed four pro-democracy prisoners. Its military junta says it was lawful. But can…

play

From: Essential Middle EastWhy did Israel attack Gaza yet again?At least 45 people, including 16 children, were killed after Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip in the occupied…

From: The Bottom Line Is a Trump endorsement a golden ticket, or kiss of death?The former US president campaigned for Republican politicians across the country, with mixed results so far.Published On 1 Sep 20221 Sep 2022
From: The Bottom Line What’s next for the January 6 investigation – and for Democrats?Republicans are focusing the debate on crime and inflation ahead of November’s vote. What is the Democratic platform?Published On 28 Jul 202228 Jul 2022
From: The Bottom Line Will the January 6 inquiry affect Trump’s grip on Republicans?The congressional hearings on the riots of January 2021 paint Trump as a leader who was out to seize power at all costs.Published On 21 Jul 202221 Jul 2022

MORE FROM NEWS

https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=7265&numAds=undefined&cf=1761.539.aljazeer1&tcString=&can_serve_ads=true&canServeAds=true&canCookie=true&canProgrammatic=true&canDmp=true&partner_tcf_status=2.0&partnerTcfStatus=2.0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F9%2F1%2Fformer-nypd-officer-gets-longest-january-6-riot-sentence-yet&unitId=dianomi-7265-YxFM6sC9jV9lQBtCs3EUmAAAAAQ0

Follow Al Jazeera English:

Share with:

Useful Links

Categories

Useful _Links