A Kentucky man, who was charged with using pepper spray against law enforcement officers and carrying a Confederate flag while storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been sentenced to over two years in prison.
Israel James Easterday, a 23-year-old individual, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison and 500 hours of community service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has announced that he is also required to pay $2,000 in restitution.
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According to the release, Easterday made the journey from Kentucky to the nation’s capital out of frustration with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. He then proceeded to join the mob in their attempt to storm the Capitol building. Easterday was among the rioters who gathered outside the East Rotunda doors of the Capitol building.
During the riot, Easterday received another can of pepper spray from a fellow protester, which he then used to target a small group of officers. One of the officers was struck in the face and temporarily incapacitated, according to the official press release.
On December 8, 2022, authorities apprehended him in Miami.
During the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge James Boasberg expressed his decision to impose a lower sentence than the one recommended by prosecutors for Easterday. The Associated Press reported that the judge took into account Easterday’s young age and his upbringing on a family farm, where he was homeschooled. Judge Boasberg noted that Easterday may not have fully grasped the gravity of the events that transpired during the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
According to the AP, Easterday expressed his apologies to the officers who were injured and admitted feeling a deep sense of shame for his actions.
Over 1,300 people have faced charges in almost every state for their involvement in the January 6 insurrection. Among them, close to 500 individuals were charged with the serious felony of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement, as stated in the release.
The Associated Press also contributed to this article.
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