Poli Alert Political & Civics
Related Articles
A Florida man was sentenced on Friday to just over 5 years in prison for assaulting law enforcement officials with dangerous weapons during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.
Robert Palmer is the first Jan. 6 defendant to be sentenced on the charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers using a dangerous or deadly weapon. This was the longest sentence imposed to date in the investigation into the events of Jan. 6.
“It has to be made clear that trying to violently overthrow the government, trying to stop the peaceful transition of power, and assaulting law enforcement officers in that effort is going to be met with absolutely certain punishment,” said U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan.
According to court documents, Palmer, 54, of Largo, Florida, was among rioters outside the U.S. Capitol on the afternoon of Jan. 6. At approximately 4:53 p.m., he was standing near the Archway leading from the Lower West Terrace to the interior of the Capitol. While there, he threw a wooden plank at U.S. Capitol Police and Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officers protecting the Lower West Terrace entrance.
Then, approximately two minutes later, he was at the front line of rioters confronting the officers located within the Lower West Terrace Archway. At this time, Palmer sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher at the officers until it was empty. He then threw the fire extinguisher at the officers.
Although no specific injury was tied to this conduct, based on the size and weight of the plank and fire extinguisher, and the speed and force with which Palmer threw them, the objects were capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.
“Those officers were so brave standing there, just taking all the stuff that people were giving them, all the taunts, all the jeers and everything,” Palmer told the judge before he was sentenced.
“I am so ashamed I was part of that. Very, very ashamed,” he said.
Palmer was one of the first to turn himself into the FBI shortly after the riot. He pleaded guilty in October.
The longest sentence previously imposed in a Capitol riot case was 41 months, given to two separate defendants.
