Julian Khater admitted to using a dangerous weapon while assaulting officers.
On January 6, a rioter used pepper spray to strike fallen Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick; he was given 6 years, 8 months term on Friday.
A hazardous weapon assault against officers was admitted to last year by Somerset, New Jersey resident Julian Khater, 33.
As a rioting crowd tore down metal police barricades on the west front of the U.S. Capitol complex, Khater, according to court documents, maced at least two officers that day at close range.
Sicknick passed away the following day from natural causes, according to the Washington, D.C., medical examiner, however, it’s possible that the day’s activities contributed to his condition. Judge Thomas Hogan remarked that as a result, he could not punish Khater for bringing about Sicknick’s passing.
In part because of prison conditions that the judge called “a disgrace,” Hogan said Khater would be given credit for the year and ten-plus months that he has already spent behind bars.
Khater spoke to the court before being given his punishment and claimed to have spent a lot of time reflecting on his life, reading, and praying.
Khater told the judge, “This has been a long, grueling, yet humbling experience that has taken a great toll on me.
The judge criticized Khater’s indirect apologies to the cops as being “self-centered.” Despite the fact that a legal lawsuit had been brought against him, Khater claimed that his lawyer had advised him against making a straight apology.
For their fallen comrade, dozens of Capitol Police officers showed up at the sentencing on Friday. Officer Caroline Edwards, who was also beaten by Khater while standing close to Sicknick, and his family both gave tearful testimony to the court about their loss.
When asked about the mental pain she went through after losing her friend and coworker, Edwards stated, “I thought I would be delighted when this day came – when justice would be done.
Since she was unable to assist and was therefore incapacitated, Edwards claimed that she felt as though she had failed as an officer.
Khater was personally addressed by Sicknick’s mother, who referred to him as a “beast” and discussed the ongoing stress that the entire family has been through.
Gladys Sicknick stated, “You are center stage in our repeating nightmare.
Chad Seigel, Khater’s defense lawyer, described his client’s actions as “a moment of clouded judgment.”
According to Seigel, “His emotionally charged behavior was an abnormality.”
For what they called Khater’s “cowardly and premeditated assault” on law enforcement personnel, prosecutors asked for a sentence of 90 months. In lieu of the 22 months he has already served, Hogan chose an 80-month sentence.
