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A man who became a fugitive aft a national assemblage convicted him of assaulting constabulary officers during nan U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced connected Tuesday to six years successful prison.
David Joseph Gietzen, 31, of Sanford, North Carolina, struck a constabulary serviceman pinch a rod during a mob's Jan. 6, 2021, onslaught connected nan Capitol.
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Gietzen told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols that he didn't intend to wounded anybody that day. But he didn't definitive immoderate regret aliases remorse for his actions connected Jan. 6, erstwhile he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters successful interrupting nan associated convention of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.
"I person to make it explicitly known that I judge I did nan correct thing," he said earlier learning his sentence.
The judge said Gietzen made it clear during his proceedings grounds — and his sentencing proceeding — that he clings to his baseless beliefs that nan 2020 statesmanlike predetermination was stolen from Trump.
"Mr. Gietzen fundamentally was unapologetic coming astir his conduct," Nichols said.
This image from U.S. Capitol Police video, contained and annotated successful nan Justice Departments connection of facts successful support of nan apprehension warrant for David Joseph Gietzen, shows Gietzen, circled successful yellow, pushing astatine a officer's shield astatine a constabulary statement connected nan West Front of nan U.S. Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021, successful Washington. The North Carolina man who became a fugitive aft a national assemblage convicted him of assaulting constabulary officers during nan U.S. Capitol riot has been sentenced to six years successful prison. (Department of Justice via AP)
Last August, a assemblage convicted Gietzen of 8 counts, including battle and civilian upset charges. After his proceedings conviction, Gietzen disregarded a tribunal bid to study to situation connected Oct. 20, 2023, while awaiting sentencing. He missed respective hearings for his lawsuit earlier he was arrested astatine his mother’s location successful North Carolina connected Dec. 12, 2023.
"This shape of flouting rules and laws and doing what he wants, sloppy of nan consequences, is really Gietzen operates," prosecutors wrote successful a tribunal filing.
Defense lawyer Ira Knight said Gietzen apparently remained astatine his house, "just waiting to beryllium picked up," and wasn't connected nan tally from authorities aliases trying to hide aft his conviction.
Prosecutors recommended a situation word of 10 years and 1 period for Gietzen, who worked arsenic a machine programming technologist aft graduating from North Carolina State University successful 2017 pinch bachelor's degrees successful machine engineering and electrical engineering.
"Clearly, Gietzen is agleam and capable to get thing done erstwhile he puts his mind to it – beryllium it a assemblage grade aliases assaulting officers arsenic portion of successful a convulsive mob," prosecutors wrote.
Gietzen's attorneys requested a four-year situation sentence.
"David’s existent accuracy is that he nary longer wishes to beryllium engaged pinch nan governmental process," defense attorneys wrote. "His engagement pinch authorities has concluded and should beryllium an denotation to nan Court that he is nary longer willing successful being a threat to nan nationalist aliases governmental process."
Gietzen traveled to Washington, D.C., pinch his relative from their location successful North Carolina. He attended then-President Donald Trump's "Stop nan Steal" rally adjacent nan White House connected Jan. 6 earlier marching to nan Capitol.
As nan mob of Trump supporters overwhelmed a constabulary statement connected nan Capitol's West Plaza, Gietzen shoved a constabulary officer, grabbed different officer's state disguise and struck an serviceman pinch a pole.
"And each of Gietzen’s unit was based connected a deficiency of respect for rule enforcement and nan antiauthoritarian process — its extremity was to get himself and different rioters person to nan building truthful they could interfere pinch nan certification of nan election," prosecutors wrote.
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Gietzen later bragged astir participating successful nan riot successful messages to friends and relatives, saying he had "never been prouder to beryllium an American."
More than 1,350 group person been charged pinch Capitol riot-related national crimes. Over 800 of them person been sentenced, pinch astir two-thirds getting position of imprisonment ranging from a fewer days to 22 years.
