A man who was seen carrying a confederate flag during the insurrection that took place on Jan. 6, 2021 has been sentenced to three years in prison.
According to CBS News, Kevin Seefried, who was seen attacking a Black police officer with a Confederate flag on that day, was convicted last June and sentenced on Thursday to be in prison for the next three years. He took part in the riot in Washington, D.C. near the White House after he and his son, Hunter,
attended the “Stop the Steal” rally and protest organized by former President Donald Trump. Trump claimed that the year’s election was stolen from him.When Seefried completes his prison term, he must then serve a year on probation.
Judge Trevor McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, announced the rioter’s sentence on Thursday, and called the defendant’s conduct “outrageous” and “especially shocking.”
Seefried informed Judge McFadden that he “crossed the line” and regretted his actions. He said, “I had no idea that any of this would ever happen. My intention was to use my voice…I never wanted to send a message of hate.”
When McFadden handed down his sentence, he
mentioned Seefried’s action of thrusting the flagpole of the Confederate flag at Black U.S. Capitol Police Officer, Eugene Goodman. “Sir, I hope you realize how deeply offensive, how troubling it is,” McFadden told the prisoner.Goodman testified at the trial last year, and told the court that while he was inside the Capitol Rotunda during the planned attack, Seefried yelled out, “Where the members at?” As the rioters threatened Goodman, they taunted him by saying, “What are you going to do, shoot us?”
Goodman was credited with leading the mass of protesters away from the Senate chambers and toward another section of the building where there was more law enforcement present.
Prosecutors requested a prison sentence of 70 months for Seefried, but the judge sentenced him to half the time sought.