James Robert Elliot, then a Proud Boy, attacked cops with a flagpole at the Jan. 6 sacking of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump. After pleading guilty in November to the assault, a Federal judge yesterday sentenced him to more than three years in prison and fined him $2000.
In recommending a sentence of 41 months in prison for Elliott, federal prosecutors had said he "seemed to view himself as the star of a war movie" during the riot at the Capitol." Elliott did not just instigate – he joined the battle himself," they wrote in their sentencing memo.Prosecutors said he urged others in the crowd to cross over barricades outside the Capitol, leading chants of "Whose House? Our house!" before he swung a flagpole at officers, and then thrust it into a police line, making contact with an officer, while repeatedly mimicking a war cry from the movie "300," yelling, "Patriots, what is our occupation? AAH-OOH, AAH-OOH, AAH-OOH." Prosecutors said Elliot later bragged about his role in the riot, sending a text message stating, "We took the f***ing capital lol," and "I bonked two cops…. Never thought I'd say that."
His attorneys said he was just there to see outgoing president Trump speak, but the footage–and text messages boasting of his participation in the violence–led him to the plea.
Obligatory reminder that there are black folks in jail on longer sentences for voting with provisional ballots.
