Jan 6 rioter who tried to rip off officer’s gas mask is slapped with over 7 years in prison

A man who ripped at a police officer’s gas mask during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol has been handed a prison sentence of over seven years, NBC News reported.

Steven Cappuccio was sentenced to 85 months in prison after prosecutors had initially sought a 10 years sentence, citing the “sadistic cruelty” he exhibited towards Officer Daniel Hodges.

From NBC News:

Hodges had to seek medical attention after the attack and had an MRI; footage of the attack on him in the Capitol tunnel played prominently in the Jan. 6 Committee’s public hearings.

Cappuccio, a veteran, claimed ahead of sentencing that PTSD was in part responsible for his actions that day, but Hodges, who is also a veteran, struck back at that claim in a statement to the court.

“I’m curious at what point did his mental health condition allegedly take all agency away from his rational mind: Did it seize him before he drove 1,600 miles from his home in Texas to the Capitol? Or only partway, when he stopped to buy goggles for his peaceful First Amendment assembly?” Hodges wrote. “Was he in control when he trespassed onto the Capitol grounds after Trump instructed him to march there? When he moved through the mob, pushing his way to the vanguard of the assault, and fought to break our [defenses]?”

“When did he regain his senses?” Hodges continued. “Was it before or after he tried to kill me?”

Read more at NBC News.

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.