- Howard Richardson pleaded guilty earlier this year to assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6 attack.
- He entered the restricted area of the Capitol and beat an officer holding a Trump flag.
- On Friday, he was sentenced to 46 months in prison, a $2,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Howard C. Richardson, 72, of Pennsylvania, was sentenced Friday to nearly four years in prison for beating a police officer with a Trump flag during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Richardson, who pleaded guilty in April to charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer, traveled to a restricted area of the Capitol during the riots while members of Congress were counting electoral votes related to the 2021 presidential election. statement announced by the Department of Justice.
The Pennsylvania native told the FBI he was at the Capitol because he was “angry” about the 2020 presidential election and outraged about alleged voter fraud, NBC reports. He carried a Trump flag through the crowd as he passed police trying to stop the surge.
“About 1:38 p.m., Richardson was standing on West Terrace with a flagpole a few feet away from the picket line,” the Justice Department said. statement read. “He raised it and swung it down hard, attacking a Metropolitan Police officer who was standing behind a metal barricade. Richardson then attacked the officer two more times, breaking the flagpole with enough force. Then, moments later, He joined other thugs pushing a large metal sign towards law enforcement officers.”
This Government Sentencing Memorandum Said Richardson downplayed his involvement in the attack, provided false information about his actions and falsely insisted he was carrying a “Back the Blue” flag, not a Trump flag, during the unrest.
“Obviously no phase [sic] Ironically, Richardson made this assertion despite the video footage clearly showing his flag as a blue and red “Trump” flag. memorandum read.
When sentencing, NBC reportsRichardson apologized for his actions, saying he “lost [his] Temper,” and he had “no excuse” for what he did, but he had expected a party and “celebration” because he thought the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory would be blocked.
“I have learned my lesson, Your Honor,” NBC reports Richardson said. “I go down and celebrate as a patriotic citizen…I just want to get back to my life.”
Richardson was sentenced to 46 months in prison and paid $2,000 in restitution, according to the Justice Department statement about sentencing. Upon his release, Richardson will be released under three years of supervision.
Richardson is one of them 860 arrests Crimes related to the Jan. 6 leak of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 260 individuals charged with assaulting or obstructing law enforcement.
