A Colorado man has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol breach. Patrick Montgomery, 51, from Littleton, received a 37-month sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the riot, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss and comes after Montgomery was convicted for his actions, which obstructed a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was meant to confirm the electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election. The defendant was also given 36 months of supervised release, the Justice Department confirms.
Court documents detail how Montgomery, along with co-defendants Brady Knowlton and Gary Wilson, arrived at the Capitol and breached the restricted perimeter. During the riot, Montgomery was caught on camera as he engaged in a physical altercation with a police officer over control of a baton. The altercation intensified to the point where Montgomery kicked the officer in the chest.
Shortly after, the group entered the Capitol, making provocative statements about the election and confronting police. Knowlton shouted at an officer, "This is not about us. This is bigger than me, it’s bigger than you. It’s about this – everyone’s right to self-government . . . We’re with you guys. You think these people in this building would fight for you?" while Montgomery added, "You gotta stop doing your job sometime and start being American. You gotta quit doing your job and be an American!" according to court filings from the Justice Department.
Montgomery was arrested by the FBI on January 17, 2021, in Colorado. His sentencing is part of a broader investigation into the Capitol insurrection, which has led to over 1,532 individuals being charged with various crimes. More than 571 have faced charges for assaulting or obstructing law enforcement. Knowlton's sentencing is still pending, while Wilson has completed a 30-day sentence with 12 months of supervised release.
