Topline
A retired member of the New York Police Department was convicted Monday of attacking a D.C. police officer with a flagpole during the January 6 riot, closing out the first jury trial for assaulting police during the Capitol attack, according to the Department of Justice.
Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Key Facts
Jurors convicted 56-year-old Thomas Webster of assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon, along with several other felony and misdemeanor counts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington, D.C., confirmed in a press release.
Citing body camera footage, prosecutors said Webster repeatedly swung a metal flagpole at a D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officer during a raucous scene outside the Capitol building during the afternoon of January 6, 2021.
Webster eventually charged and tackled the local police officer, pinned him to the ground for about 10 seconds and tried to rip off his helmet and gas mask, making it difficult for the officer to breathe, the DOJ argued.
Webster pleaded not guilty and insisted he acted in self-defense, claiming the police officer that he fought—Noah Rathbun—was a “rogue” cop who instigated the conflict outside the Capitol by punching Webster in the face (Rathbun testified that he shoved Webster in the face to move him back after Webster pushed a barricade forward).
Forbes has reached out to Webster’s attorneys for comment.
What To Watch For
Sentencing is scheduled for early September. Webster could face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the charge of assaulting law enforcement with a dangerous weapon, though two other January 6 defendants who pleaded guilty to assaulting police were sentenced to 41 months and 63 months in prison last year.
Key Background
A former member of the Marine Corps, Webster worked for the NYPD for about two decades before retiring in 2011, CNN and the New York Times reported. He reportedly worked as a trainer at the NYPD’s firing range and served in a unit responsible for security at City Hall and Gracie Mansion, the New York City Mayor’s official residence.
Tangent
Federal authorities have arrested and charged almost 800 people in connection with the Capitol riot, including more than 200 who were accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding police officers, the DOJ says. Many defendants have pleaded guilty, but several people who pleaded not guilty have been convicted during jury trials—and at least one person charged with misdemeanors was found not guilty during a “bench trial” decided solely by a judge last month. Webster isn’t the only ex-police officer to face Capitol riot-related charges: A handful of other defendants were either former law enforcement officers, military veterans or government employees, including a fired Virginia police officer who was found guilty at trial last month.
Further Reading
How a Respected N.Y.P.D. Officer Became the Accused Capitol Riot #EyeGouger (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2022/05/02/ex-nypd-officer-found-guilty-of-assaulting-cop-during-jan-6-riot/