A Maryland man was sentenced to five months in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
David Blair, of Clarksburg, brought a a knife and a lacrosse stick with a Confederate flag attached to the U.S. Capitol and struck a police officer with the improvised flagpole while shouting encouragement to other rioters to keep fighting.
“Hell naw, quit backing up, don’t be scared," Blair shouted, according to prosecutors.
Blair did not go inside the Capitol but later pleaded guilty to interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, a felony that carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and prosecutors agreed to drop eight other charges.
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He was taken into custody moments after bashing the officer and offered an apology and asked to be let go.
“While in handcuffs and not in response to any questions prompted by any members of MPD, defendant Blair stated words to the effect of, ‘I understand, what I did, the one motherf*cker swung at me so I kinda switched … so I apologize, we’re done though,'” said the statement of offense.
However, police found a knife and tape in his bag during a search, and he insisted that he carried the weapon to fight off a possible attack from Antifa activists.
Blair told police he came to the Capitol to protest the removal of Confederate monuments, which he complained was the “erasing of history."