Feds seek longest sentence yet for J6 rioter who assaulted Capitol cop

A January 6 Capitol rioter who was convicted in September 2022 on nine charges, including multiple counts of assaulting police and obstruction of Congress’ January 6, 2021, proceedings, could be serving 16 years in prison if federal prosecutors get their way.

According to a report from Politico, Patrick McCaughey is facing what could be the longest sentence among all of the rioters who took part in the assault on the Capitol inspired by former president Donald Trump that forced lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to flee for their lives.

McCaughey is notable for his part in pinning D.C. Police Officer Daniel Hodges in a Capitol doorway that was caught on video and horrified the nation.

According to a sentencing memo from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall, "McCaughey taunted police officers at the West Front bike racks and joined the mob that threw its weight against the beleaguered line of officers guarding the Capitol. McCaughey used a deadly and dangerous weapon against Officer Hodges, where he spent over two minutes using his body weight to crush the officer in the doorframe.”

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Politico reports, "The recommendation for McCaughey surpasses the 15-year sentence the Justice Department recommended for Guy Reffitt, the first Jan. 6 rioter convicted by a jury. Reffitt, a militia member, planned for violence with associates ahead of Jan. 6, carried a firearm and engaged with police in a lengthy standoff that enabled the mob to start amassing at the base of the Capitol. Ultimately, the judge in his case, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich, sentenced Reffitt to just over seven years in prison."

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