Retired NY cop, Thomas Webster’s sentence for attacking a police officer is by far the longest sentence for participating in the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. Read to know all about this.
Thomas Webster gets a 10-year prison sentence
Maritime veteran and retired New York police officer Thomas Webster was sentenced on Thursday to a 10-year-long prison sentence for assaulting a police officer in the Capitol attack. This is the longest sentence yet from the riot on January 6, 2021. The 56-year-old from Goshen, New York was convicted following a federal jury trial in May. He was convicted of all six charges including those for engaging in violence on restricted grounds with a dangerous weapon and assaulting a police officer.
“I should have not been there on Jan. 6 to protest the election and I wish the events of that horrible day had never happened. People would still be alive. People would also not have gotten hurt. And families would not be torn apart,” stated Webster. Sniffling, he added that he was swept up in politics but wished he never came to Washington. Additionally, he also apologized to Noah Rathbun, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer he was convicted for choking and attacking. “I want to apologize to you and most importantly your family. I’m sorry,” apologized the retired cop.
More on the conviction
Amith Mehta, US District Judge stated Thomas Webster threw away a lifetime of respect earned through his Marine and police service due to 46-second-long violence. Additionally, he stated that the case reflects the aberrant behavior tearing through the nation’s fabric. “Officer Rathbun was a victim that day. For sure. No doubt about it. The other victim was democracy and that is not something that can be taken lightly,” stated Mehta. He added that he did not take pleasure in sentencing the retired cop to a 120-month-long prison sentence.
“I don’t think you’re a bad person. I think you were caught up in a moment. As you know, even being caught up in a moment has a consequence,” stated Mehta. This is the longest sentence received by a Capitol hill rioter. However, the previous longest sentence was 87 months long for Thomas Robertson and Guy Reffitt. Robertson is also a former Virginia police officer and Reffitt is a member of the Texas militia. Mark Ponder and Robert Scott Palmer received 63 months in prison for assaulting the police.