A court-martialed U.S. solider who was convicted of a manslaughter in Iraq was sentenced on Monday to over four years in prison for his role in the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Edward Richmond Jr.
Edward Richmond Jr., 41, of Geismar, Louisiana, is accused of assaulting police officers with a metal baton during the U.S. Capitol riot. Richmond later expressed immediate regret for his actions that day.
“It was wrong. It was foolish. It was not thought-out. It was spur of the moment,” Richmond said on Monday before he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison by U.S. District Judge John Bates.
The judge noted that Richmond seemed genuinely remorseful for his role in one of the most violent moments of the Capitol riot—a confrontation between rioters and overwhelmed officers at a tunnel entrance.
“Your conduct was pretty terrible. You’ve recognized that,” Bates said during the sentencing hearing.
January 6 Riots
Over 1,500 individuals have faced federal charges in connection with the Capitol riot, with more than 650 receiving prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years.
Several defendants charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot have requested delays in their cases, pointing to President-elect Donald Trump‘s campaign promise to pardon many of his supporters who were involved in the attack. However, judges have largely denied those motions, proceeding with plea hearings and sentencings as planned.
Richmond did not request a delay in his sentencing. Following the hearing, his attorney, John McLindon, described such a move as a “waste of time.”
Brent Stirton/Getty Images
Prosecutors sought a prison sentence of five years and three months for Richmond, who will receive credit for the approximately nine months he has already spent in custody since his arrest.
Richmond arrived at Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on January 6 equipped with a helmet, goggles and military-style tactical gear. Following the rally, he marched to the Capitol, where he joined a group of rioters in a coordinated “heave-ho” effort against police defending a tunnel entrance. Richmond reportedly wielded a police shield as he moved through the crowd before returning to the tunnel entrance, where he used a retractable metal baton to strike at officers’ shields.
Richmond was taken into custody in January and entered a guilty plea to an assault charge in August.
Past Manslaughter Charge
At 20 years old, Richmond was convicted of voluntary manslaughter by an Army court-martial for the 2004 killing of a handcuffed Iraqi civilian near Taal Al Jai. He was sentenced to three years in military confinement at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and received a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Army.
According to the Army, Richmond shot Muhamad Husain Kadir, a cow herder, in the back of the head from approximately six feet away after the man stumbled. During his sentencing on Monday, Richmond told the judge that he had acted on orders from a superior officer who instructed him to shoot if Kadir moved again.
“It was a mistake,” Richmond said. “It was a mistake by a young soldier.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.