More than six years in prison for Capitol stormer who attacked dead agent

AFP

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 01:41

An American who attacked a police officer with pepper spray during the storming of the Capitol two years ago has been sentenced to more than six years in prison. The victim died of a stroke the day after the attack.

The perpetrator, a 32-year-old man, was one of thousands of supporters of former President Trump who forcibly entered the Capitol on January 6, 2021. They tried to block the ratification of the election victory of the new president Biden.

Julian Khater, 32, sprayed at least three police officers with pepper spray, as can be seen on images. One of them, 42-year-old officer Brian Sicknick, suffered a fatal stroke the next day. An autopsy revealed a natural cause, but doctors concluded that the violence from a day earlier probably played a role in the stroke.

Regret

In court in Washington, Khater expressed remorse. He said he didn’t know what possessed him that day. “There are no words. I wish I could take it all back.”

The court sentenced the man to six years and eight months in prison, minus pre-trial detention. He must also pay a $10,000 fine. “There is no justification whatsoever for attacking officers doing their duty in front of a crowd of thousands,” the judge said.

Khater is one of more than 950 people indicted over the Capitol storming. This month it was announced that the relatives of agent Sicknick are also starting a civil case against former president Trump. They hold him responsible for Sicknick’s death because he whipped up the crowd to go to the Capitol.

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