Richard Barnett has risen to dubious notoriety for a photo of him with his foot on top politician Nancy Pelosi’s desk during the storming of the Capitol. Now the retired firefighter had to justify his involvement in the attack on the seat of parliament in court: he was sentenced to several years in prison.
During the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021, he posed provocatively with a boot on the table of the Speaker of the House of Representatives – in court, the 62-year-old was charged with, among other things, disturbing public order and entering a an official building with a suspicious or dangerous or deadly weapon, the prosecutor said on Wednesday. The then-voted supporter of President Donald Trump had a stun gun hidden in a walking stick at the time.
Judge: Barnett is “one of the faces of January 6”
A jury found him guilty of eight charges in January and the sentence is now set: the rioter was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Judge Christopher Cooper accused him of showing no remorse and trying to capitalize on the attack, US media reported from the courtroom. “You’ve become one of the faces of January 6, for better or for worse, and I think you’ve enjoyed that,” he said.
Rioter: “I admit I was angry”
He reportedly left a note calling Pelosi a “slut.” He later offered autographed copies of the photo for sale. “I was angry that day. I admit I was angry and I apologize for that,” Barnett said in court. However, he accused the government of trying to force him to repent for things he did not do. Police then attacked peaceful protesters in the Capitol. He is therefore appealing against the ruling.
Trump supporters stormed the seat of the US parliament in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Earlier, Trump had told his supporters in a speech that he had been robbed of a victory by massive electoral fraud. Five people were killed in the riots. Many of the attackers have since been convicted.
Source: Krone
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