A retired New York City cop who attacked a Washington D.C. officer during the January 6th, 2021 attack has been handed the lengthiest sentence related to the riot.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta determined that Thomas Webster will spend the next ten years in federal prison. In May, Webster was convicted of attacking D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Noah Rathbun with a flagpole, tackling him to the ground and trying to rip off his gas mask in a fit of rage over Congress certifying Joe Biden as president, beating out former President Donald Trump.
Webster lied on the stand, claiming he was trying to help Rathbun and show him his hands when attempting to remove the gas mask. However, the video of the attack showed that the encounter was far from friendly.
“I still remain shocked every single time I see video of the attack,” Mehta told Webster during sentencing.
Through tears, Webster expressed regret for his actions during the riot.
“I should have not been there on January 6th to protest the election, and I wish the events of that horrible day had never happened,” Webster solemnly stated in court. “People would still be alive. People would not have gotten hurt. And families would not be torn apart.”
Webster also apologized to Rathbun for his actions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hava Arin Levenson Mirell did not sympathize with Webster, stating the former law enforcement officer “should have known better.”
