July 15 (UPI) — A Maine man who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot that resulted in the breach of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 87 months in prison Thursday.
In September, Kyle Fitzsimons, 39, was convicted on 11 counts related to the riot, including four felony counts of assaulting an officer. Prosecutors had asked for 15 years, more than twice the sentence Fitzsimons ultimately received.
The Justice Department says Fitzsimons threw an unstrung bow at officers “like a spear” during the riot and called him “one of the most violent and aggressive participants” in the riot.
At trial, Washington, D.C., police Sgt. Phuson Nguyen said Fitzsimons removed his gas mask while another rioter sprayed a chemical substance in his face and that he subsequently put the mask back on Nguyen’s face.
“At that point I was choking under the mask,” Nguyen said, “In my head, I thought that was it for me. I thought that’s where I’m going to die.”
Fitzsimons, who is a butcher by trade, was pictured during the riot with a bloody face wearing a butcher’s coat that had his name written on it.
“His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election,” the Justice Department said in September.
After serving his sentence, Fitzsimons will be on supervised release for three years.
Fitzsimons’ defense team said their client had expected a peaceful protest.
More than 1,000 people have been charged for participating in the riot, and more than 400 have been sentenced.
