A person who attacked an Related Press photographer and threw a flagpole and smoke grenade at law enforcement officials guarding the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, was sentenced in a federal courtroom on Friday to 5 years in jail.
Rodney Milstreed, 56, of Finksburg, Maryland, “ready himself for battle” on January 6 by injecting steroids and arming himself with a four-foot wood membership disguised as a flagpole, prosecutors mentioned.
“He started taking steroids within the weeks main as much as January 6, in order that he could be ‘jacked’ and prepared as a result of, he mentioned, somebody wanted to ‘dangle for treason’ and the battle would possibly come all the way down to hand-to-hand fight,” prosecutors wrote in a courtroom submitting.
A prosecutor confirmed US district choose James Boasberg movies of Milstreed’s assaults outdoors the Capitol, as supporters of Donald Trump marched on and later invaded the Capitol within the useless hopes of stopping Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory over Trump within the 2020 election.
“I do know what I did that day was very improper,” he mentioned.
Capitol police officer Devan Gowdy suffered a concussion when Milstreed hurled his wooded membership at a line of officers.
“January 6 is a day that might be burned into my mind and my nightmares for the remainder of my life,” Gowdy instructed the choose. “The results of this home terrorist assault won’t ever go away me.”
Gowdy instructed Milstreed that he “will all the time be checked out as a home terrorist and traitor” for his actions on January 6. The officer has since left the police.
Milstreed was arrested in Could 2022 in Colorado and pleaded responsible in April to assault prices and possessing an unregistered firearm.
A cache of weapons and ammunition was discovered at Milstreed’s Maryland house and in his Colorado resort room investigators discovered 94 vials of most likely unlawful steroids.
Milstreed spewed violent, threatening rhetoric on social media within the weeks earlier than the revolt.
He attended Trump’s rally close to the White Home earlier on January 6 after which, with the president urging his supporters to overturn the election consequence, adopted the gang of supporters of the Republican to the Capitol.
Milstreed was “entrance and heart” as rioters and police clashed outdoors the Capitol, prosecutors mentioned. He tossed his wood membership at a police line and a video captured him retrieving a smoke grenade from the gang and throwing it again at police throughout a barricade.
Milstreed then joined different rioters in attacking an AP photographer, grabbing the photographer’s backpack and yanking him down some steps.
Milstreed used Fb to replace his associates on the riot in actual time.
“Man I’ve by no means seen something like this. I really feel so alive,” he wrote, sharing images of blood on a flooring outdoors the Capitol, additionally writing it “felt good” to punch the photographer.
Greater than 1,100 individuals have been charged with January 6-related federal crimes.
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