NYPD veteran convicted of assaulting officer in Capitol riot

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal jury on Monday convicted a New York Police Department veteran of assaulting an officer during the U.S. Capitol riot, rejecting his claim that he was defending himself when he tackled the officer and grabbed his gas mask.

Thomas Webster, a 20-year NYPD veteran, was the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a jury with a self-defense argument. Webster, who was wearing a face mask in court, showed no obvious reaction to the verdict finding him guilty of all six counts against him.

Webster, 56, testified that he was trying to protect himself from a “rogue cop” who punched him in the face. He also accused the Metropolitan Police Department officer, Noah Rathbun, of instigating the confrontation.

Rathbun testified that he didn’t punch or pick a fight with Webster as a violent mob attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, disrupting Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over then-President Donald Trump.



FILE - This still frame from Metropolitan Police Department body worn camera video shows Thomas Webster, in red jacket, at a barricade line at on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Jurors have returned to court to deliberate in the federal trial of a New York Police Department veteran charged with assaulting an officer who tried to protect the Capitol from an attacking insurrectionist mob last year. Retired NYPD officer Thomas Webster is the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a jury with a self-defense argument. (Metropolitan Police Department via AP, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-police-new-york-riots-presidential-elections-4ec211cda4f84edb02e5c26e4e08be71

[NutmegYankee]

1. I hope he gets years behind bars!

[AZLD4Candidate]

3. TBH, I think he may be the wrong color and have the wrong job for years

Especially how "slap on the wrist" like the "justice" system has been in sentencing insurrection and treason.

[Bengus81]

15. Another Trump humper doing the same thing worked a "deal" for a mere 27 months

Total BULLSHIT IMO that they are taking these plea deals for that amount of time.

"Another rioter who assaulted police nearby Webster during the riot – and who can be seen assaulting officers in a video where Webster is also visible – was sentenced to 27 months behind bars on Monday, after striking a plea deal with the Justice Department in December."

[COL Mustard]

4. I'm with you, Nutmeg.

Let him have an extended time out in the SHU to think about what he did.

[PatSeg]

8. Police officers and former police officers

should be held to much higher standards than the average person and as such should get more prison time. Of all people, THEY know they are breaking the law. There are no reasonable excuses.

[AZLD4Candidate]

2. Expect a lot of whining about the verdict then turning this felon into a hero by the MAGAts

[greenjar_01]

5. Deeply violent and unhinged personality - old enough and experienced enough so that

this kind of impulsiveness and violence should be unexpected. Probably has no priors, but how do you let a guy with these impulsive violent tendencies off with no prison time for assaulting police officers? He should certainly spend some time in the federal penitentiary for this conduct.

[IronLionZion]

6. So that's what Antifa looks like

Retired NYPD officers are committing Antifa false flag operations violently assaulting police officers while thousands of MAGA patriots bravely watched and did nothing. Back the blue by having the blue assault the blue.

[erronis]

16. The bogeyman is whatever they want to see in their addlepated minds.

The RW likes inventing or co-opting terms as a form of projection and covering their own current and intended crimes.

I think they got inspiration from places like religions (mainly xian based on my experience) that say one thing and do the other.

[llashram]

7. traitor

deserves a very harsh punishment. I have been reading the history of torture from a very early time BCE to modern times. This rabid dog would have been put down by now...if we weren't so 'civilized'.

[keithbvadu2]

9. The guy who was trying to gouge out the cop's eyes?

[obamanut2012]

11. Yup, that one

[ZonkerHarris]

10. Can we hang him as the traitor he is now?

[obamanut2012]

12. No

[ZonkerHarris]

14. how about just a slap on the wrist and a promise not to try to overthrow democracy again?

[The Unmitigated Gall]

13. Now THAT'S how you back the blue...right, pukes?

[bottomofthehill]

17. About 10.5 years behind bars should do it

I would like to see longer than that, but a guy who pled guilty got 63 months, so this asshole should get at least double that. the person who took the plea was sentenced on 1 count, this fucking asshole was found guilty on all 6, thus could go well above the 10.5 years. I actually hope the judge puts him in and throws away the key. fuck him.

[Hassler]

18. Cops get nice pensions. Hope he loses his.