On January 6, a Louisiana Army veteran who served time for killing an unarmed Iraqi man while serving abroad will receive a jail sentence for attacking Capitol police.
According to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office, Edward Richmond Jr., 40, was sentenced to 51 months or more than four years in prison on Monday by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, who was appointed by George W. Bush.
In August, Richmond entered a guilty plea to assaulting authorities while brandishing a dangerous or fatal weapon.
Associated coverage:
Richmond attacked police officers at the mouth of the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, which was the site of some of the most violent rioting that day, according to the sentencing summary from the prosecution. Wearing full tactical gear, he stayed at the head of the crowd fighting officers in the Tunnel for about two hours. Using a baton, he struck officers while shouting, “We’ll break you, motherf-!”
Additionally, he donated a police shield and helmet to the crowd after stealing them from the officers. In order to help rioters overwhelm fatigued, wounded, and bloodied police officers who were standing shoulder to shoulder and using their body weight to fend off the assault, he also tossed a 6-foot wooden plank into the tunnel. Through a shattered window, Richmond also brought furniture that had been taken from the Capitol into the throng.
Prosecutors claim that the Army veteran’s three-year court martial in 2004 for using a rifle to shoot a detained Iraqi cow herder in the head while on tour in Tikrit did not discourage him. When he was taken into custody on January 6, 2024, prosecutors claimed he possessed a loaded AR-15 assault gun in his house.
The attorney general stated that the punishment must now take into account both his aggressive behavior on January 6, 2021, and those troubling decisions.
In his sentencing memo, Richmond’s attorneys said that although he was there that day to ensure the safety of a number of individuals, he has shown a remarkable level of acceptance of responsibility.
According to the study, Mr. Richmond had a successful life as a solar panel technician and a single father to his kid between January 6, 2021, and the day of his arrest. A downward variation sentence is appropriate for him.
As Congress certified the 2020 presidential result, Richmond marched on the Capitol and clashed with police, according to the prosecution. Richmond was part of a security squad contracted to go with nine individuals to pro-Trump demonstrations that day. He struck officers multiple times with a metal baton while he was at the tunnel’s mouth.
Although he was apprehended on January 22, 2024, he was not taken into custody right away. He has a violent past and might lash out again if not held, according to government lawyers who filed an urgent plea to remand him. The court ordered Richmond’s detention after granting the government’s request.
According to Politico, the judge called it a near miss. According to reports, the AR-15—which he had been forbidden from possessing since his manslaughter conviction—was the decisive element.
Richmond’s shooting death in Iraq in 2004 led to his conviction for voluntary manslaughter. During a suspected rebel roundup, Richmond shot Muhamad Husain Kadir in the head while he was being held by troops, according to a military panel.
According to The Associated Press, Richmond stated during his trial that he thought the man was going to attack a soldier and was unaware that he was handcuffed.
The tribunal decided to drop the initial allegation of unpremeditated murder, which carries a life sentence, in favor of voluntary manslaughter.
Richmond received a three-year military prison sentence and was dishonorably discharged.
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