A Texas man was sentenced Monday to seven years and three months in prison for his involvement in the storming of the United States Capitol in January 2021. It is the most severe sentence handed down in the hundreds of lawsuits that have been filed since the Capitol Building. storming are underway, reports news agency AP.
On January 6, 2021, the day of the storm, the man was carrying a gun. He also wore bulletproof clothing.
The man was part of the Texas militia Three Percenters. He is said to have told other members of the far-right group on the day of the Capitol storm that he planned to pull Nancy Pelosi out of the Capitol by her ankles, “so that her head would hit every step on the way down.” . Pelosi is the Democratic Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
On Monday, the man was convicted of his involvement in the Capitol storming. Later threats against his son were also included in his sentence. The man threatened his son because he wanted to report his father to the FBI.
The man was the first person to be tried for his role in the Capitol storming. He was arrested shortly after the storming and has now been detained for nineteen months. After his release, the man will be placed under surveillance for three years. He also has to pay a fee of 2,000 dollars (1,949 euros).
Events of January 6 in brief
- Supporters of then-President Donald Trump hold a protest march because their candidate has claimed election fraud. After a call from him, the thousands of protesters walk to the Capitol, where the election results are confirmed at that moment.
- The demonstrators soon manage to break into the building. The police are completely taken by surprise.
- Four people are killed in the storm, including a police officer who dies of a heart attack and a protester who is shot dead by the police. 138 officers are injured. In the aftermath of the incident, four officers take their own lives.
- In the days following the storm, Congress calls for harsh sentences for those responsible. Also by Republicans, but they quickly turn back to unconditional support for Trump. The former president complicates the investigation into the events with lengthy legal proceedings.