Man who threw flagpole at officers on Jan. 6 sentenced to prison

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates sentenced Padilla to 78 months in prison. He was found guilty in May on 10 counts, including two assaults on police officers with one including a deadly or dangerous weapon, and obstruction of an official proceeding and related charges, the DOJ report said.

Padilla has been behind bars since his February 2021 arrest, The Associated Press reported.

Evidence presented in court showed Padilla traveling to Washington on Jan. 6 and approaching the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers near the Capitol. Padilla, a former corrections officer, then struck an officer’s helmet with a flagpole, prosecutors said.