August 9th 2024.
In a court hearing on Friday, a California man named David Nicholas Dempsey was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in the January 6th, 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Dempsey, who has a history of political violence, was found guilty of repeatedly attacking police officers with flagpoles and other makeshift weapons during the chaos.
According to prosecutors, Dempsey was one of the most violent members of the mob of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol as lawmakers were in the process of certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. He was described as stomping on police officers' heads, swinging poles at officers defending a tunnel, using pepper spray and broken furniture as weapons, and even climbing on top of other rioters to reach officers guarding a tunnel entrance.
In fact, Dempsey's actions resulted in the injury of at least two police officers. During the hearing, US District Judge Royce Lamberth condemned Dempsey's behavior, stating, "Your conduct on January 6th was exceptionally egregious. You did not get carried away in the moment." Dempsey, who had pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting police officers with a dangerous weapon, expressed remorse for his actions and apologized to the officers he had attacked.
Out of the hundreds of Capitol riot prosecutions, Dempsey's sentence is one of the longest, second only to former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who received 22 years for orchestrating a plot to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Biden. Justice Department prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 21 years and 10 months for Dempsey, while his defense attorney argued for a shorter sentence of 6 years and 6 months.
During the hearing, Assistant US Attorney Douglas Brasher described Dempsey as "political violence personified," while defense attorney Amy Collins argued that the government's sentencing recommendation was "ridiculous" and did not take into account the person Dempsey has become and the growth he has shown.
Dempsey's violent behavior was not limited to the January 6th riot. He has a criminal record in California, including convictions for burglary, theft, and assault. In October 2019, he attacked peaceful protesters demonstrating against then-President Trump and was sentenced to 200 days in jail for the assault. Prosecutors also mentioned three other instances of "vicious political violence" committed by Dempsey that did not result in criminal charges.
In total, over 1400 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the January 6th riot. Of those, more than 900 have been convicted and sentenced, with the majority receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years, like Dempsey. The judge ordered that Dempsey be taken into custody immediately and he has been in jail since his arrest in August 2021.
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