WASHINGTON — A jury on Monday found former New York City police officer Thomas Webster guilty on six charges, including assaulting a police officer, in the first federal assault case stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Webster's trial marks the fourth time a jury has heard a Jan. 6 defendant's case, with all four cases resulting in convictions on all charges.
According to testimony and video of the riot, Webster pushed through a crowd toward bike racks that were acting as a police perimeter. Clad in a bulletproof vest and waving a Marine Corps flag, he arrived at the front of the crowd, yelling"commie mother-------" at the officers, before zeroing in on Rathbun and yelling."take your s--- off!"
Webster swung a metal flagpole in a downward motion twice before breaking apart the bike racks. As Rathbun backed away, Webster ran toward him and tackled him, then pulled at his gas mask. Rathbun began to choke on his chin strap as Webster pulled at the mask, Rathbun testified. "Thomas Webster and Officer Rathbun both swore oaths to protect the country. But only one of them actually fulfilled that oath on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol," a U.S. attorney said."And that was Officer Rathbun.""When are acts of police misconduct acceptable?" defense attorney James Monroe said. Referring to the flagpole, Monroe said,"Sometimes, a flagpole is all it is. It's all it was.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jury deliberates in ex-NYPD officer's Capitol riot trialJurors deliberated on Monday in the federal trial of a New York Police Department veteran charged with assaulting an officer who tried to protect the Capitol from an attacking insurrectionist mob last year. Thomas Webster, a 20-year NYPD veteran, is the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a jury with a self-defense argument. Webster's jury trial, which started April 26, is the fourth for a Capitol riot case.
Read more »
Retired NYPD cop convicted of assaulting a police officer in Jan. 6 Capitol riotA federal jury convicted a retired New York police officer, Thomas Webster, of assaulting an officer during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Read more »
Ex-NYPD officer found guilty of attacking D.C. cop with flag pole on Jan. 6Jury convicts former New York City police officer for assaulting a D.C. police officer during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Read more »
Ex-NYPD Officer Charged With Assaulting Police on Jan. 6 Claims Self-DefenseFederal prosecutors have urged a jury to reject a retired New York City police officer’s argument that he was acting in self-defense when he swung a flagpole at police officers and tackled one of them during the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.
Read more »
Trump election investigation in Georgia to begin with special grand jury selectionA special grand jury in Fulton County will be tasked with deciding if former President Donald Trump and others broke the law by pressuring Georgia officials to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Read more »
Tara Grinstead murder: Jury selection begins in Ryan Duke murder trialJury selection begins Monday in the trial of Ryan Duke for the murder of Tara Grinstead. The former Miss Georgia contestant and high school teacher in Ocilla, Georgia, was reported missing in 2005.
Read more »