Global Courant
A California man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for stabbing a stun gun into a police officer’s neck during the 2021 attack on the United States Capitol, one of the harshest sentences handed down to date.
Nevertheless, Daniel “DJ” Rodriguez, 40, was defiant and yelled that “Trump won” while being escorted by law enforcement officers from a Washington, DC federal courthouse.
Only two other suspects in the Capitol bombing have received longer prison terms.
Announcing the verdict, Judge Amy Berman called Jackson Rodriguez a “one-man army of hate, attacking police and property destruction” during the events of January 6, 2021.
That was the day supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, attempting to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College votes starting in the 2020 election. Trump had falsely claimed that the election was rigged to explain his defeat in that race.
Still, Judge Jackson rejected defense arguments that Rodriguez had simply been misled by Trump’s “irresponsible and knowingly false claims.”
“You showed up in (Washington) DC to fight for a fight,” Jackson told Rodriguez. “You can’t blame anyone but yourself for what you did once you got there.”
Rodriguez made his own statement to the court on Wednesday, explaining his actions by saying, “I did what I thought was right at the time.”
He also acknowledged the “great pain” inflicted on police officer Michael Fanone, whose body camera captured the stun gun attack.
“I’m hopeful that Michael Fanone will be okay one day,” said Rodriguez.
Former police officer Michael Fanone has said the events of January 6, 2021 ended his law enforcement career (File: Leah Millis/Reuters)
However, Fanone walked out of the courtroom amid Rodriguez’s meandering, 25-minute speech.
The former police officer later told the Associated Press, “Nothing he could have said to me today would have made any difference.”
He has previously credited the events of January 6 with ending his law enforcement career.
Fanone suffered a heart attack, burns, and traumatic brain injury when he was overtaken by rioters who beat him and dragged him down the steps of the Capitol. He has since testified about his experiences before a now-defunct House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol.
Rodriguez had pleaded guilty to four felonies earlier in February, including assault on a law enforcement officer, obstruction of justice and conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings.
Prosecutors allege that Rodriguez helped lead a Telegram chat group called “PATRIOTS45MAGA Gang,” where Trump supporters gathered to organize before the attack.
According to the indictment against him, Rodriguez told one person that he would “kill Joe Biden” and would “rather die than live under a Biden administration.” He also wrote on the group chat: “There will be blood. Welcome to the revolution.”
Soon after, he and other members of the chat group drove across the country from California to attend Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021.
After the rally, thousands of rioters, including Rodriguez, converged on the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress was held to certify the election results.
Prosecutors say Rodriguez joined in a “heave-ho” effort to push back a line of police officers guarding a set of double doors leading to the Capitol. They also claim he was seen throwing a flagpole at law enforcement officers and spraying a fire extinguisher.
At one point, another rioter allegedly gave him an “electro-shock weapon” which he wielded against the officers. As the crowd pulled Fanone forward, Rodriguez is accused of hitting him twice in the neck with the active stun gun. Fanone eventually lost consciousness.
The Justice Department has charged more than 1,000 people with crimes related to the attack on the Capitol as part of a wide-ranging investigation. Nearly 500 have been sentenced.
However, few other suspects have received prison sentences as long as Rodriguez’s.
Last month, Stewart Rhodes, leader of the far-right group the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years – the longest sentence to date. Prosecutors had demanded 25.
Before Rhodes, the longest sentence was 14 years for Peter Schwartz of Kentucky, whom prosecutors blamed for breaching the Capitol’s police line and spraying retreating officers with pepper spray.
Like Rodriguez, Kelly Meggs, leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, also received 12 years in prison. He was convicted in May along with Rhodes.
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