
For attacking police officers while participating in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, a Donald Trump fan was sentenced to five years in jail, the toughest term yet handed down in the inquiry into the violence.
Robert Scott Palmer, 54, was seen in videos and images throwing boards, a fire extinguisher, and other things at police outside the Florida State Capitol. He was dressed in an American flag jacket with pro-Trump patches and a cap that stated "Florida for Trump."
He attempted to enter the Capitol but was finally repelled by pepper spray used by Capitol security agents to prevent him from doing so.
After that, he proceeded to hurl objects at cops until he was struck by a rubber bullet. He was arrested.
Palmer's arguments for leniency based on his troubled childhood and a handwritten apology in which he claimed that he and others had been duped into attacking the Congress by the former president, whom he called "tyrannical" and "desperate to hold on to power," were both rejected by federal judge Tanya Chutkan.
"I've come to the realization that we, meaning Trump fans, have been deceived," he wrote.
Authorities noted that even after his October 4 guilty plea, Palmer continued to justify his acts, claiming that police were the aggressors on a fundraising website page that he put up for the victims of his crimes.
According to the prosecution, Palmer "intentionally joined a large number of rioters with the sole objective of interfering with the nation's political process," as stated in a sentencing letter submitted to the court.
According to the report, "Palmer's aggression was motivated by his political objective of undermining democratic elections and the peaceful transfer of power."
In the Capitol attack, the previous most severe sentence was 41 months, which was handed down to two individuals who were charged with impeding an official procedure but were not accused of attacking law enforcement officers.
More than 700 individuals have been charged in connection with the incident, the majority of them were charged with minor charges such as illegally entering the Capitol.
However, several dozen people are facing allegations of assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as conspiracy, which may result in lengthy prison sentences.