A Kentucky man has felt the stern hand of justice after being sentenced to a 30-month prison term for his volatile involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot, during which he attacked police with pepper spray, among other chaotic acts. Isreal James Easterday, 23, of Munfordville, Kentucky, didn't escape the grasp of the law, as U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg also ordered him to shell out $2,000 in restitution and put in 500 hours of community service, according to a release by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Easterday, whose actions contributed to the disruption of the congressional session meant to certify the 2020 presidential election results, was convicted of six felonies and three misdemeanors last October, proving that his ill-advised journey from Kentucky to the Capitol was far from a patriotic pilgrimage. The jury found him guilty of felonies that included civil disorder; two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a dangerous weapon; and entering and staying in restricted grounds armed with a deadly weapon. In addition, he got tagged with three misdemeanors, related to disorderly conduct and parading inside the Capitol building.
Disturbingly, evidence from the trial painted a scene of violence where, waving a Confederate battle flag and repping a pro-Trump beanie, Easterday became part of the belligerent mass that breached Capitol defenses on the eastern side. The badge of "I ♥ TRUMP” on his hat did nothing to absolve his actions, which included pepper-spraying an officer at point-blank range, effectively blinding the law enforcer and allowing another rioter to snatch his baton.
The havoc escalated when Easterday, wielding a second can of pepper spray provided by an accomplice in chaos, unleashed the painfully blinding agent on another group of officers, leaving at least one unable to see and in agony for hours afterward. The anarchy that he and others unleashed that day resulted in a blatant breach of the Capitol's East Rotunda doors, a historic invasion disturbingly detailed in the Department of Justice release.
Agencies involved in bringing Easterday to justice included the FBI's Louisville and Washington Field Offices, USCP, and the Metropolitan Police Department, with the collective effort showcasing the relentless pursuit of those linked to the January 6 anarchy. As of now, more than 1,385 individuals have faced charges for their part in the Capitol breach, nearly 500 of them for assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
