Sentencing a January 6 rioter who assaulted a police officer to 90 months in prison, a judge warned the “dark shadow of tyranny” continues to loom nearly two years since the Capitol insurrection that attempted to overthrow the results of the US presidential election.
Albuquerque Head of Tennessee was sentenced on Thursday to the second-longest punishment of anyone involved in the Capitol attack so far. Head had already pleaded guilty to dragging officer Michael Fanone away from the police line while shouting “I got one!”
Shortly after, other violent protesters grabbed Fanone, tasered him and stole his radio and badge.
During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Fanone testified that he suffered a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury as a result of the attack, later quitting his job, reported the Detroit News.
“I would trade all of this attention to return to policing, but I can’t do that,” Fanone said. “And the catalyst for my loss of career and the suffering that I’ve endured in the past 18 months is Albuquerque Head.”
During sentencing, US district court judge Amy Berman Jackson, who has handled several politically significant court cases during the Trump era, called Head’s behavior some of the most chilling to come out of the January 6 riots.
“He was your prey … He was your trophy,” Jackson told Head of his attitude to Fanone.
“The dark shadow of tyranny unfortunately has not gone away,” she said. “Some people are directing their vitriol at Officer Fanone and not at the people who summoned the mob in the first place.”
Thomas Webster, a former New York police officer, is the only person to receive a lengthier punishment than Head. Webster was sentenced by US district court judge Amit Meht to 10 years in prison last month for attempting to break the police line during the Capitol riot, including swinging a metal flagpole at an officer and choking him with his helmet chinstrap.
When deciding his sentence, Jackson noted that Head admitted his guilt and had a fiancee and three children. She also reiterated, however, that Head was to blame.
“The people who are upset need to understand that no matter how outraged they are … when they decide to do battle with the officers who are doing their duty, they will be held accountable,” the judge said.
