Capitol Hill rioters facing strict sentences from judges in US: Report

Judges across the US have been handing down stiff sentences and hard words to supporters of former US President Donald Trump who stormed the US Capitol Complex building on January 6 this year. According to a report by The Guardian, ever since rioter Jacob Chansley was awarded a prison sentence of 41 months, more and more judges have become inclined towards handing down stringent punishments to the accused.  As many as 643 American residents have been charged for the riots, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently likened to the 9/11 attacks. 

The British daily further reported that the longest sentence so far was handed down to a Florida man who threw a wooden plank and fire extinguisher at police. Robert Palmer was sentenced to 63 years imprisonment. More recently, on Tuesday, December 21, Washington resident Devlyn Thompson was sentenced to 46 months of prison time for assaulting police officers with a speaker and a metal baton during the riots. Notably, more than 700 rioters are currently facing charges.

January 6 Capitol Hill riots

On January 6, thousands of Donald Trump supporters broke barricades outside the Capitol and marched into the building. They were scaling walls and breaking windows to enter the building. Rioters banged on doors inside the building, tried to push through doors, and fought with police. As per reports, by 2 PM, Capitol Police ordered all staff, reporters, and nearby senators into the Senate chamber, sealed it off and placed the area under lockdown.

Visuals from inside the Capitol show the rioters inside US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, inside the Congress and Senate Hall, as police officers deployed tear gas inside the building. After the building was secured, at least four people were reported dead, 52 arrested and over a dozen police officers injured.

Earlier this year, a small crowd of people coalesced in front of the US Capitol Building to rally for those criminally charged in the January 6 pro-trump insurrections. The rally was dubbed as ‘Justice for J6’, referencing the date the riots took place. While the protesters chanted slogans for the release of the defendants, they were countered with a large number of pre-positioned officers from the various law enforcement agencies. Later, Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee told NBC news that the swelled up police presence might have “deterred” the presence of protesters. 

(Image: AP)