Former New York cop jailed 10 years for Capitol riot
A retired New York Police Department officer has been sentenced to a record 10 years in prison for attacking the US Capitol and using a metal flagpole to assault one of the police officers trying to hold off a mob of Donald Trump supporters.
Thomas Websterās prison sentence is the longest so far among about 250 people who have been punished for their conduct during the riot on January 6, 2021. The previous-longest was shared by two other rioters, who were sentenced separately to seven years and three months in prison.
Webster, a 20-year NYPD veteran, was the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a self-defence argument. A jury rejected Websterās claim that he was defending himself when he tackled Metropolitan Police Department officer Noah Rathbun and grabbed his gas mask outside the Capitol on January 6.
US District Judge Amit Mehta on Thursday sentenced Webster, 56, to 10 years in prison plus three years of supervised release. He allowed Webster to report to prison at a date to be determined instead of immediately ordering him into custody.
āMr. Webster, I donāt think youāre a bad person,ā the judge said.
āI think you were caught up in a moment. But as you know, even getting caught up in a moment has consequences.ā
Webster turned to apologise to Rathbun, who was in the courtroom but didnāt address the judge. Webster said he wishes he had never come to Washington.
āI wish the horrible events of that day had never happened,ā he told the judge.
Federal prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of 17 years and six months. The courtās probation department had recommended a 10-year prison sentence. Mehta wasnāt bound by the recommendations.
In a court filing, prosecutors accused Webster of ādisgracing a democracy that he once fought honourably to protect and serve.ā Webster led the charge against police barricades at the Capitolās Lower West Plaza, prosecutors said.
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They compared the attack to a medieval battle, with rioters pelting officers with makeshift projectiles and engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
āNothing can explain or justify Mr. Websterās rage. Nothing can explain or justify his violence,ā Assistant US Attorney Hava Mirell said.
In May, jurors deliberated for less than three hours before they convicted Webster of all six counts in his indictment, including a charge that he assaulted Rathbun with a dangerous weapon, the flagpole.
Webster said he went to the Capitol to āpetitionā lawmakers to āre-lookā at the results of the 2020 presidential election. But he testified that he didnāt intend to interfere with Congressā joint session to certify President Joe Biden ās victory.
Webster retired from the NYPD in 2011 after 20 years of service, which included a stint on then-Mayor Michael Bloombergās private security detail. He served in the US Marine Corps from 1985 to 1989 before joining the NYPD in 1991.
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