Washington – Man from New Jersey who admitted to dousing a US Capitol police officer Brian Siknik with Pepper spray in time January 6, 2021 Capitol attack was sentenced to 80 months in prison on Friday in The courtroom in Washington, D.C. is jam-packed with siknik colleagues and fellow officers.
“I don’t know what came over you,” Federal Judge Thomas Hogan said, imposing a multi-year prison sentence on Julian Kater, “Somehow you decided to push way through the crowd.”
Hogan also fined Hater $10,000.
siknik died of natural causes a day after the defense of the Capitol during the January 6 assault, D.C. medical examiner office announced last year. He suffered a stroke with a summary of the medical examiner’s report referring to “acute infarction of the brainstem and cerebellum due to acute thrombosis of the basilar artery”.
Friday’s sentencing hearing draws full buses of other US Capitol Police officers who wanted honor the memory of a deceased colleague.
According to court documents and the testimony of Julian Hater plea agreement, he and co-defendant George Tanios – who pleaded guilty to lesser charges – traveled to Washington D.C. from West Virginia to attend former President Donald Trump rally on the White House Ellipse.
The couple moved from the rally towards the Capitol, although investigators say they have not found any evidence that men planned on riot that day.
“Video Surveillance shows Cater reaches inside Thanios’ backpack and takes it out. one of canisters of the chemical spray they brought to Washington,” government Preliminary sentencing memo describing Hater as angry, emotional and out of control.
After his way front of crowd on lower west capitol side, prosecutors Let’s say Cater pointed a pepper spray at the line of officers.
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“Boat attack, in compound with hundreds of attacks of other rioters, as a result in collapse of police line, government wrote: “Kater first the victim was US Capitol Police Officer Brian Siknick.”
TV camera and surveillance video verified by CBS News and photographs included in court documents show Painful reaction to stimulus, recoil and clearing area wipe it off eyes and clean it face. Other officers were also hit with Hater’s pepper spray and tried shield yourself from its impact, video show.
Neither Hater nor Thanios were charged. in siknik death.
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Calling on the judge to sentence Hater to 90 months in prison, prosecutors wrote: “While spraying Julian Hater on Officer Siknik was ultimately not assigned direct cause of his death The tragic death of the Siqnik Office, so close in time for trauma events of that day, emphasizes the seriousness of a crime committed by Hater and his fellow rioters.”
He “made a cowardly and deliberate attack on at least three law enforcement officers in uniform, government said during a court hearing on Friday while showing court video of boats various actions during attack.
And although Cater himself did not enter the Capitol that day, government told Hogan that he was a vital part of the crowd that broke down barriers and “allowed” a gap of Capitol.
Hater – who has been imprisoned since arrest in March 2021 – Asked for indulgence, his lawyers writing before sentencing that he “feels sincere remorse for his behavior”.
Describing your client as gentle and kind who was noticeable up in mob mentality of day, hater defense team claimed that he and Thanios went to the capital of the country for sole purpose of participating in the Trump rally. They said that Thanios only brought a used pepper spray. in in attack protect them against potential violence that day, no attack.
Hater’s deplorable actions, they wrote, “were indeed isolated and not part of of some coordinated effort.”
His defense team asked Hogan for offer of departure time, referring to in legal briefs, which they described as sub-optimal and inhuman conditions in detention, which includes poor nutrition and sleep deprivation.
In a court on Friday, Hater defense the lawyer said: “Behavior in this case does not define him,” and quoted his client as saying. history of obsessive anxiety and depression.
“Despite some of hyperbole and rhetoric. defense said on Friday, “Mr. Cater is not directly or indirectly” lead towards Siknik death.
Hater himself also spoke briefly on Friday, describing last two years is humiliating, but “torturous”.
“I assure you,” he said to the judge, “what happened that day in my nature … will never happen again.”
Hogan noted that he had not heard anything. sorrow or Hater’s regret about what he did to the officers that day. Hater replied that he avoided it because of ongoing civil case on cause.
For my part, Tanios already pleaded guilty in lower courts on trespassing and disorderly conduct and was sentenced to time with one year of supervised release. He admitted that he incited the rioters, filmed the attack on video. on law enforcement and can buying of spray the chemicals used that day.
upcoming of sentencing, Siknik’s disease mother and siblings sued letters describing feelings of anger at Hater. They are also spoke emotionally in court on Friday about their loss.
“You attacked my son like he was an animal; you are a beast, Mr Cater,” says Siknik. mother Gladys, wrote: “You should knew better… in this is great country, we go to the voting booth to make a difference. we are not start armed rebellion no matter what the president encouraged you to’fight like Hell’.”
dressed in her deceased son Gladys Siknik addressed Hater during Friday’s hearing. “You attacked my son like he was an animal. You are an animal, Mr Cater, she said emotionally. jail as of bald-faced Lying?”
Siknik’s longtime partner, Santa Garza, said Trump brainwashed Cater and Thanios.
Judge Hogan was careful to point out out that he did not pass judgment on Hater for Siknik death, emphasizing that there was no such accusation in front of to him on Friday. However, the judge said that he found No excuse for action on that day.
