A man described by prosecutors as one of the "most violent" participants in the January 6, 2021 riots on the Capitol in Washington was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison, AFP reported.
The sentencing of David Dempsey, a 37-year-old Californian, is the second-highest sentence handed down against any of the 1,500 people charged for their roles in the attack on the building of the two US legislative chambers.
It was carried out by a crowd of Donald Trump supporters challenging Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election, following an exalted speech by the Republican, on the day the election results were due to be certified by Congress.
Five people died and 140 members of the security forces were injured.
Prosecutors asked for 22 years in prison for David Dempsey, a former construction worker and fast-food restaurant employee, citing his already lengthy criminal record.
It described him as "one of the most violent rioters, during one of the most violent moments (of the attack), at the scene of the most violent clashes in front of the Capitol building."
He used "his hands, his feet, flagpoles, crutches, pepper spray, pieces of broken furniture and anything else he could get his hands on as weapons against the police," prosecutors said.
Dempsey has pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting police officers.
Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the far-right American group Proud Boys, was sentenced in September to 22 years in prison for his role in the Capitol attack. I BGNES
