'Ashamed' Trump supporter gets home detention for encouraging rioters to steal Capitol cop's shield
A right-wing influencer avoided prison for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Brandon Straka, a former hairstylist who encouraged Democrats to "Walk Away" from the party, was sentenced to three years of probation and three months of home detention for encouraging fellow Donald Trump supporters to steal a police officer's shield and storm the U.S. Capitol, reported HuffPost.
The 45-year-old Straka later described his involvement in the riot “one of the stupidest and tragic decisions of his life,” and Judge Dabney Friedrich pointed out that he was being punished for his conduct that day, not for his constitutionally protected speech.
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Straka told the judge he was “deeply sorry and ashamed,” and while he said his social media followers would not tolerate him advocating violence against police, he admitted in a statement of offense that he encouraged the mob to take the officer's shield.
Prosecutors had wanted him to receive four months of home detention, saying they gave considerable weight to Straka's early willingness to be interviewed by law enforcement.
The judge also imposed a $5,000 fine.