Trump-appointed judge convicts man for repeatedly hitting officer on head with flagpole during Jan. 6 riots [View all]

Source: Law & Crime

Dec 14th, 2024, 12:09 pm


A one-time candidate for a Michigan city council seat was convicted of hitting an officer on the head several times with a “Trump” flag draped flagpole during the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Jeremy Rodgers, 26, was found guilty on Thursday in a bench trial in front of U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, a Donald Trump appointee. Rodgers was found guilty of assault on a federal officer, civil disorder, trespassing, disorderly conduct and picketing in a Capitol building.

Rodgers approached a line of officers that day guarding the entrance to the East Rotunda Door and then struck a Capitol officer three times on the helmet with the flagpole that had a blue “Trump” flag attached to it. Prosecutors described the blows as powerful. They were loud enough to be heard in videos documenting the assault, and the officer later told investigators he felt every strike to his head through an ill-fitting helmet and had vertigo and moments of dizziness that day, court documents said.

During the melee, the defendant was found to have tried to use the flagpole to keep officers from closing the East Rotunda Door and entered the Capitol building through that door at 2:26 p.m. Inside, Rodgers removed a railing blocking the crowd behind him, saying, “come on in,” then stood aside and shouted, “USA, USA,” while waving people toward the House Chambers.

Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/trump-appointed-judge-convicts-man-for-repeatedly-hitting-officer-on-head-with-flagpole-during-jan-6-riots/