His picture went around the world: Richard Barnett was photographed in the Capitol, sprawled on Pelosi’s chair, one foot on the desk. “I was angry that day,” he says in court.
During the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021, he posed with one foot on top politician Nancy Pelosi’s desk, now he has to go to jail: A retired firefighter is in Washington for his involvement in the attack on the seat of parliament by supporters of the president who was voted out at the time Donald Trump has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
The 62-year-old Richard Barnett was accused, among other things, of disturbing public order and entering an official building with a dangerous or deadly weapon, as the prosecutor announced on Wednesday (local time). At the time he had a stun gun hidden in a walking stick. A grand jury found him guilty on eight counts in January.
Judge Christopher Cooper accused him of showing no remorse and trying to capitalize on the attack, US media reported from the courtroom. “For better or for worse, you’ve become one of the faces of January 6th and I think you’ve enjoyed that,” he said.
With his foot on Pelosi’s desk
In a picture taken on the day of the Capitol storm, Barnett can be seen sitting in Pelosi’s office chair with his left foot resting on the desk of the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives. He reportedly left a note calling Pelosi a “slut.” He later offered signed copies of the photo for sale.
“I was angry that day. I admit I was angry and I apologize for it,” Barnett said in the courtroom, according to the reports. However, he accused the government of trying to force him to show remorse for things he did not do. The police then attacked peaceful demonstrators in the Capitol. He will therefore appeal the verdict.
The Storming of the US Capitol
Trump supporters stormed the seat of the US Parliament in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm the victory of Democrat Joe Biden in the presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters in a speech that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud. Five people died as a result of the riots. Many of the attackers have since been convicted.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
