- Howard Richardson had previously pleaded guilty. year attack on police officers during a protest on 6 January. attack.
- He entered the restricted areas of on the grounds of the Capitol and beat an officer with Trump flag.
- On Friday, he was sentenced to 46 months. in prison $2,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Howard S. Richardson, 72-year- old from Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Friday to almost four years in prison for police beating with trump flag during january 6 attack on Capitol.
Richardson who pleaded guilty in April to recharge of assault on a law enforcement officer, made his way to restricted areas of Capitol grounds during riots that interrupted Congress as members counted elections votes in connection with the 2021 presidential election, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice.
Pennsylvania native told the FBI he was at the Capitol because he was “furious”. offabout the 2020 presidential election and outraged by alleged election fraud, NBC reported. He walked through the crowd with a Trump flag, passing officers trying to stem the tide.
“At about 1:38 p.m., Richardson was standing a few feet from the police line on West Terrace. with flagpole, the Justice Department said in a statement. He picked it up and brought it down with force to hit the officer with Metropolitan Police Department who stood behind metal barricade. Richardson then hit the officer with two more times, using enough force break the flagpole. Then, after a few moments, he joined other rioters in push big metal sign in line of law enforcement officials.”
government’s sentencing memorandum states that Richardson downplayed his involvement in in attack provided false information about his actions and mistakenly insisted that during the riots he was carrying the “Back the Blue” flag, not the Trump flag.
“Apparently unphased [sic] Ironically of using police symbol attack police officer, Richardson made this statement, although the video recording is clearly shows his flag is Trump’s blue and red flag,” the memorandum reads.
At the sentencing, according to NBC, Richardson apologized. for his actions, saying that he “lost [his] short temper” and that “there is no excuse” for what did he do but what did he expect party as well as “celebration”because he thought the certification of President Joe Biden win would have been stopped.
“I’ve learned my lesson, Your Honor,” Richardson told NBC. “I was going to down as a patriotic citizen to celebrate. … I just want go back in my life.”
Richardson was sentenced to 46 months in prison and pay 2000 dollars in restitution, according to the DOJ sentencing statement. Upon release, Richardson will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Richardson one of more over 860 people who were arrested for crimes related to the violation of January 6 of US Capitol including more more than 260 persons charged with assault or obstruction of the implementation of laws.
