Jan. 6 Rioter Sentenced to 20 Years for Assaults on Police

A California antheral who attacked constabulary officers astatine the Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021, successful a sustained battle with his hands, his feet, a flagpole, crutches, capsicum spray and breached pieces of furnishings was sentenced connected Friday to 20 years successful situation — 1 of the stiffest penalties issued successful much than 4 years of prosecutions of the rioters.

The man, David Dempsey, was truthful assertive that astatine 1 constituent helium assaulted a chap rioter who was trying to disarm him. Mr. Dempsey, described by prosecutors arsenic a erstwhile operation idiosyncratic and fast-food worker with a “very important past of arrests,” besides stood beside a gallows extracurricular the gathering and called for the hanging of salient Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and erstwhile President Barack Obama.

“Dempsey was 1 of the astir convulsive rioters, during 1 of the astir convulsive stretches of time, astatine the country of the astir convulsive confrontations astatine the Capitol,” prosecutors wrote successful tribunal papers filed this month.

The lone rioter to person faced much clip successful situation than Mr. Dempsey truthful acold is Enrique Tarrio, the erstwhile person of the Proud Boys, who was sentenced successful September to 22 years successful situation aft being convicted connected charges of seditious conspiracy. Mr. Dempsey’s 20-year word was higher than the sentences handed down to 1 of Mr. Tarrio’s lieutenants, Joseph Biggs, who was fixed 17 years, and to Stewart Rhodes, the person of the Oath Keepers militia, who is serving an 18-year term.

Prosecutors accidental that Mr. Dempsey, who pleaded blameworthy to battle successful January, climbed atop different rioters astatine the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol, utilizing them similar “human scaffolding” to get astatine the officers protecting the entranceway to a passageway there.