An ex-policeman of the New York City Police Department who violently attacked law enforcement personnel on January 6, 2011, has been handed a ten-year jail sentence.
On several counts, including abusing police and violent and unruly behavior, Thomas Webster, 56, was found guilty in May.
Over 850 persons have been accused in connection with the attack.
However, the punishment issued on Thursday was the harshest ever for anyone engaged in the riots.
Prior to this, a federal jury in New York dismissed Webster’s claim that he had been acting in self-defense when he slammed one policeman to the ground and placed another in a stranglehold.
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The former Marine denied ex-president Donald Trump’s allegations that the 2020 election was fraudulent and submitted a letter of recommendation from a buddy who cited the Republican politician’s “despicable lies” as the basis for Webster’s behavior – this was stated in a pre-sentencing filing.
The judge’s decision that Webster ‘spearheaded’ an assault on police lines and was accountable for ‘disgracing a democracy that he once fought honorably to protect and serve’ was adopted by the jury.
‘Notwithstanding his background and training, Webster did not try to de-escalate the situation or leave the premises,’ the justice department said in court filings. ‘Webster spent eight minutes elbowing his way through the densely packed crowd so that he could position himself at the front of the mob.’
Considering Webster’s 25 years of service as a police officer and soldier, the court decided to cancel the final 36 months of his sentence.
The far-right Oath Keepers group’s counsel Kellye SoRelle had also been taken into custody at the same time as the sentencing by US law enforcement officers.
In relation to the attacks of January 6th, Ms. SoRelle was charged with four offenses, including obstructing the judicial process.
A couple of the group’s members have admitted guilt to crimes related to the assault on the Capitol, where several Oath Keepers could be seen storming the building while wearing body armor.
Prior to the attempts to dispute the 2020 election results, the 43-year-old served with Trump’s lawyer.
