Man involved in Capitol Hill riots sentenced to 12.5 years for using taser on police officer

A man involved in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felonies, including using a stun gun on a police officer. Daniel Rodriguez, described by prosecutors as "one of the most violent defendants" among those charged in relation to the January 6 riots, had, as per The Hill, organised the attack with fellow rioters on the messaging app Telegram.

Rodriguez had made alarming statements in a group chat on Telegram, declaring, "There will be blood. Welcome to the revolution," just hours before the riot unfolded.

What Rodriguez did during the riots

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During the attack on the Capitol, Rodriguez reportedly used a stun gun on Officer Michael Fanone, who has since left the police department and become a CNN contributor. Officer Fanone has been vocal about the insurrection, detailing the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotional trauma he experienced as a result. He suffered a minor heart attack and a traumatic brain injury during the riot.

Rodriguez's victim speaks up

In court on Wednesday, Officer Fanone said: "I don’t give a shit about Daniel Rodriguez. He ceased to exist to me as a person a long time ago."

He also expressed the erosion of any compassion or empathy he might have had for those who participated in the siege.

"Any compassion or empathy I felt toward those who laid siege to our Capitol, whose actions I felt were at least in part influenced by their leader Donald Trump and his lies, has been eroded — eroded by the attacks directed at me and my family by supporters of Donald Trump and the right-wing media," he added as quoted by The Hill.

A confession

Reportedly, Rodriguez admitted to using a stun gun on an officer in the same Telegram chat later on January 6.

Prior to his sentencing, he said he was "truly" expecting a civil war and also voiced support for extremist militias such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

In February, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, obstruction of justice, and assaulting a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors initially sought a 14-year sentence, but Rodriguez received a 12.5-year term, which is still one of the lengthiest sentences given to a defendant involved in the January 6 insurrection.

Blame it on Trump

During the defence's argument, the man's lawyer blamed the insurrection on former US President Donald Trump, claiming that his rhetoric had inspired Rodriguez to participate in the riot.

They stated that Rodriguez idolized Trump and saw him as a father figure due to growing up without a father himself.

"He saw the former president as the father he wished he had," they wrote in a memo.

It goes on to say that "He (Rodriguez) believed Trump was someone to be admired: a multimillionaire who graduated from Wharton Business School, with his name massively displayed in gold on buildings across the United States."

The perpetrator himself claims that he believed Trump's false claims about the 2020 election being stolen and was radicalised by far-right extremist platforms like InfoWars and personalities like Steven Crowder.

Rodriguez was initially identified by online investigators, who meticulously reviewed hundreds of hours of publicly available video footage from the riots. He was arrested in March 2021. His sentencing follows other notable sentences for individuals involved in the January 6 attack. Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes was recently sentenced to 18 years in prison, while another perpetrator who assaulted officers with pepper spray and a chair received a 14-year prison term.

(With inputs from agencies)
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