Daniel Rodriguez, a California resident who travelled to Washington, D.C., three years ago for the Jan. 6 election protest, was sentenced Wednesday to more than 12 years in prison.
Rodriguez pled guilty to four charges in February, including conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon and obstruction of an official proceeding, CNN reports.
Rodriguez engaged Capitol police in an entrance tunnel along with other members of a violent mob, using a wooden pole and a fire extinguisher to push back police, according to prosecutors. Rodriguez apparently acquired a stun gun from another rioter and turned the weapon on D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, according to prosecutors, shocking him twice in the neck.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson imposed the 12-year sentence, adding that Rodriguez was a “one-man army of hate, attacking police officers and destroying property,” NBC reports. Judge Jackson further added that Fanone was “was protecting the very foundation of democracy,” CNN reported. (RELATED: Two Active-Duty Marines Plead Guilty To Jan. 6 Charges)
BREAKING: Hero Jan. 6th cop Michael Fanone finally gets justice as the Trump insurrectionist who drove a stun gun into his neck is sentenced to a staggering 12.5 years in prison.
Daniel “D.J.” Rodriguez pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding,… pic.twitter.com/1D0kA5YyRE
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) June 21, 2023
Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to all charges, remained committed to his original stance that “he ‘truly’ thought a civil war was going to begin,” NBC reported. Fanone responded to the news by saying that Rodriguez and the other rioters were “traitors, and they should be sentenced accordingly,” per the outlet.
“We need to stop treating these people as anything other than enemy combatants of our democracy,” he added. After receiving his sentence, Rodriguez shouted “Trump won” repeatedly as he left the court room, CBS reported.