A guy from Kentucky got himself in trouble with the law, and now he’s facing over two years behind bars. Israel James Easterday, who is just 23 years old, was charged and found guilty. He was given a sentence of two and a half years in prison plus 500 hours of community service, accompanied by a fine of $2,000. But what did he do?
Well, it seems Easterday, just like many other Americans, wasn’t too happy about the results of the presidential election that was held in 2020. He took a trip to Washington, D.C., and joined in with some other folks to storm the Capitol building in a riot.
Now, while things were already getting pretty heated outside the Capitol, Easterday took things to another level. He got his hands on some pepper spray and sprayed a Capitol Police officer right in the face! The officer ended up collapsing and even lost consciousness because of it.
Easterday was later handed a second can of pepper spray by a fellow rioter and used it to spray another small group of officers. At least one of the officers was hit in the face and was temporarily incapacitated, the office said in its press release.
ALSO READ: Former Police Officer at the Capitol Says the Jan. 6 Protest Was a Set-Up
On December 8, 2022, Easterday was arrested in Miami. But when it came time for his sentencing, the Judge began to consider some things. Easterday grew up on a farm, homeschooled, and all that.
The Judge’s opinion was that maybe the man, who was homeschooled while living on a family farm, ‘may not have fully appreciated what was going on there” during the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
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During the hearing, the Judge, Chief Judge James Boasberg, went a bit easier on Easterday than what most of the prosecutors wanted. Maybe it was because of his age, or perhaps the Judge thought he didn’t really understand the seriousness of what he had done.
Easterday did express some remorse, saying he was sorry to the officers he hurt and feeling deeply ashamed about what he did.
Easterday isn’t the only one facing consequences for their actions on January 6. Over 1,300 people from nearly every state in the country have been charged for the violence in the Capitol riot.
ALSO READ: Judges Order Early Release of January 6 Rioters Ahead of Supreme Court Ruling
However, to us. Don’t go attacking police officers. It’s not a good look, and it’s definitely going to land you in some kind of prison sentence.
We can only hope Easterday learns from his mistake and uses those 500 hours of community service to actually do some good in the community and have a moment of introspection. His sentencing was light by the Judge’s standards, yours may not be as light.
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