Oct. 27 (UPI) — The Jan. 6 insurrectionist who dragged Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone into the violent mob during the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison Thursday.
Albuquerque Head, 43, will get credit for 18 months already served. Head pleaded guilty to grabbing Fanone, yelling “I got one!” as the pro-Trump violent mob attacked police in an effort to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
Head’s sentence is one of the longest so far in the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 prosecutions.
Others in the mob that day drug Fanone away, shocking him with a Taser and assaulting him while stealing his badge and radio. Fanone suffered a heart attack during the attack.
In courtroom remarks, Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Head’s conduct were “some of the darkest acts committed on one of our nation’s darkest days.”
Fanone had urged the judge to show Head the same mercy he showed Fanone that day, which was none, Fanone told the judge.
Jackson had earlier sentenced Jan. 6 insurrectionist Kyle Young to 86 months in prison for his part in the riot and attack on Fanone.
“The dark shadow of tyranny unfortunately has not gone away,” she said as she sentenced Head. “Some people are directing their vitriol at Officer Fanone and not at the people who summoned the mob in the first place.”
She told Head during sentencing that he had treated Fanone like his prey and a “trophy” by bragging as he attacked the officer.
“He was protecting the very essence of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power after a democratic election,” Jackson said of Fanone. “He was protecting America.”
