Former NYPD Veteran Thomas Webster Receives 10 Years Sentence for Assaulting Police Officer During US Capitol Riot on Jan. 6

During the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, a former New York City police officer and Marine Corps veteran who swung a flagpole at police before tackling one officer and ripping off his gas mask was given the longest sentence: 10 years-of the nearly 250 people who have been sentenced thus far for their roles in the uprising.

Thomas Webster, 56, of Goshen, New York, who was the first riot defendant facing the felony charge of attacking an officer to try his luck with a jury, was targeted by federal prosecutors for a jail sentence of more than 17 years. Twelve additional people have admitted guilt to a related charge.

Former NYPD Officer Gets Longest US Capitol Riot Sentence

Although the previous maximum sentence for rioters was little more than seven years, US District Judge Amit P. Mehta criticized the government's proposed sentence as being excessive and praised Webster for his 25 years of service with the Marines and the NYPD.

At his trial, Webster testified as a witness that he was acting in self-defense and that DC police officer Noah Rathbun had started the altercation. A video, however, captured Webster shouting at police on the Capitol's Lower West Plaza as they fought to maintain a cordon around the structure.

Rathbun said that he put his hand on Webster's shoulder before pushing him in the face. After that, Webster swung and broke a Marine Corps flagpole on a bike rack before tackling Rathbun.

Rathbun started choking on tear gas when Webster removed the officer's gas mask, the officer testified. In May, the jury deliberated for three hours before finding Webster guilty of the assault and four more felonies, as per Washington Post.

Thomas Webster Was Also Ordered To Pay $2,060

Webster received a $2,060 reparation order and three years of monitored probation as part of his sentence. Because Webster was shielded by armor, Judge Amit Mehta decided to add four levels to his augmentation. This alone increased the minimum sentence he could have received by 30 months.

Webster sobbed as he stated at his sentencing hearing, claiming he should have never traveled to DC on Jan. 6, according to Mehta, who described him as an average American who "lost everything in a single second."

He claimed that he should have known to turn away but lacked the fortitude to do so because he was overwhelmed and angered by his emotions and the political discourse. He also expressed regret to Rathbun. From 1985 to 1989, Webster, a native of the New York village of Florida, served in the Marine Corps.

From 1991 until 2011, he worked as an officer with the NYPD, according to ABC News. In accordance with the evidence in the case, Webster was caught up in weeks' worth of internet allegations that the election had been rigged.

This deception, promoted by the late President Donald J. Trump, sparked a movement that upended democratic norms and thwarted the orderly transition of power. A startling paradox of Jan. 6 was discussed during Webster's week-long trial even though many in the crowd were outspoken supporters of the police, numerous people ended up being accused of attacking officers.

His lengthy sentence might also make other offenders reconsider using the same justifications in their own trialsrlier this year, Webster said during his testimony that attacking a law enforcement officer seemed almost like a role reversal, New York Times reported