(Washington) A man described by the prosecution as one of the “most violent” participants in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots in Washington was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday.
The sentence handed down to David Dempsey, a 37-year-old Californian, was the second harshest sentence handed down against one of about 1,500 people charged for their role in the attacks on the headquarters of the two US legislative chambers.
It was led by a crowd of Donald Trump supporters cheering for Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election, following a high-profile Republican speech on the day the election results were to be verified by Congress.
Five people died and 140 security forces personnel were injured.
Prosecutors sought a 22-year sentence for David Dempsey, a former construction site worker and fast-food worker, citing his already lengthy criminal record.
He presented him as “one of the most violent rioters in the most violent moments (of the attack) at the scene of the most violent clashes in the Capitol.”
“He used his arms, legs, flagpoles, crutches, pepper spray, broken furniture and anything he could get his hands on as weapons against the police,” police said.
Dempsey pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting police officers.
Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the American far-right group Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years in prison in September for his role in the attack on the Capitol.
