Jan. 6 Rioter Sentenced to 55 Months

Facts

• Joshua Pruitt, a 40-year-old Maryland man who has been affiliated with the far-right Proud Boys group, was sentenced on Mon. to 55 months in federal prison for partaking in the US Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
• He pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding on June 6. He was caught on video pursuing police officers and destroying a sign inside the Capitol.
• He also allegedly encountered Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) before a security detail took the senator to safety.
• Sentencing guidelines recommended 51 - 63 months imprisonment, in part due to Pruitt's prior convictions for assaulting a police officer, drunk driving, and cocaine possession. His attorneys asked for a three-year sentence.
• Seven other charges - including the destruction of government property and civil disorder - were dropped as part of a deal with prosecutors.
• According to his lawyer, Pruitt wasn't a member of the Proud Boys on the day of the Capitol riots but became a member after the events of that day. The lawyer said Pruitt, however, is no longer a member.

Sources: CBS, NBC, Washington Post, and Daily Mail.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by New Republic. Most people convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 riots are receiving relatively lenient sentences, which allows for truth and reconciliation. But a wider message must still be sent regarding more serious offenders in order to protect democracy in the US.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by FOX News. It's absurd to prosecute those who participated in the Jan. 6 protests with such ferocity. The Democrats are the real anti-Americans, demonizing patriotic citizens as "domestic terrorists."