J6 rioter who struck officer with pole sentenced to 6 years in prison

A antheral who became a fugitive aft a national assemblage convicted him of assaulting constabulary officers during the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced connected Tuesday to six years successful prison.

David Joseph Gietzen, 31, of Sanford, North Carolina, struck a constabulary serviceman with a rod during a mob's Jan. 6, 2021, onslaught connected the Capitol.

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Gietzen told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols that helium didn't mean to wounded anybody that day. But helium didn't explicit immoderate regret oregon remorse for his actions connected Jan. 6, erstwhile helium joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters successful interrupting the associated league of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.

"I person to marque it explicitly known that I judge I did the close thing," helium said earlier learning his sentence.

The justice said Gietzen made it wide during his proceedings grounds — and his sentencing proceeding — that helium clings to his baseless beliefs that the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination was stolen from Trump.

"Mr. Gietzen fundamentally was unapologetic contiguous astir his conduct," Nichols said.

This representation from U.S. Capitol Police video, contained and annotated successful the Justice Departments connection of facts successful enactment of the apprehension warrant for David Joseph Gietzen, shows Gietzen, circled successful yellow, pushing astatine a officer's shield astatine a constabulary enactment connected the West Front of the U.S. Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021, successful Washington. The North Carolina antheral who became a fugitive aft a national assemblage convicted him of assaulting constabulary officers during the U.S. Capitol riot has been sentenced to six years successful prison.  (Department of Justice via AP)

Last August, a assemblage convicted Gietzen of 8 counts, including battle and civilian upset charges. After his proceedings conviction, Gietzen disregarded a tribunal bid to study to situation connected Oct. 20, 2023, portion awaiting sentencing. He missed respective hearings for his lawsuit earlier helium was arrested astatine his mother’s location successful North Carolina connected Dec. 12, 2023.

"This signifier of flouting rules and laws and doing what helium wants, careless of the consequences, is however Gietzen operates," prosecutors wrote successful a tribunal filing.

Defense lawyer Ira Knight said Gietzen seemingly remained astatine his house, "just waiting to beryllium picked up," and wasn't connected the tally from authorities oregon trying to fell aft his conviction.

Prosecutors recommended a situation word of 10 years and 1 period for Gietzen, who worked arsenic a machine programming technologist aft graduating from North Carolina State University successful 2017 with bachelor's degrees successful machine engineering and electrical engineering.

"Clearly, Gietzen is agleam and capable to get thing done erstwhile helium puts his caput to it – beryllium it a assemblage grade oregon assaulting officers arsenic portion of successful a convulsive mob," prosecutors wrote.

Gietzen's attorneys requested a four-year situation sentence.

"David’s existent doctrine is that helium nary longer wishes to beryllium engaged with the governmental process," defence attorneys wrote. "His engagement with authorities has concluded and should beryllium an denotation to the Court that helium is nary longer funny successful being a menace to the nationalist oregon governmental process."

Gietzen traveled to Washington, D.C., with his member from their location successful North Carolina. He attended then-President Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally adjacent the White House connected Jan. 6 earlier marching to the Capitol.

As the mob of Trump supporters overwhelmed a constabulary enactment connected the Capitol's West Plaza, Gietzen shoved a constabulary officer, grabbed different officer's state disguise and struck an serviceman with a pole.

"And each of Gietzen’s unit was based connected a deficiency of respect for instrumentality enforcement and the antiauthoritarian process — its extremity was to get himself and different rioters person to the gathering truthful they could interfere with the certification of the election," prosecutors wrote.

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Gietzen aboriginal bragged astir participating successful the riot successful messages to friends and relatives, saying helium had "never been prouder to beryllium an American."

More than 1,350 radical person been charged with Capitol riot-related national crimes. Over 800 of them person been sentenced, with astir two-thirds getting presumption of imprisonment ranging from a fewer days to 22 years.