A member of the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys who participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was sentenced to 55 months in prison this Monday, NBC News reports.
Joshua Pruitt, 40, was caught on video chasing after police officers and smashing a sign inside the U.S. Capitol. Back in June, he pled guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding.
Pruitt said he was "not happy that Jan. 6 happened at all," but said he still believes that Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
“I did believe the election was stolen. I still do,” Pruitt told the judge. “I broke the law, bottom line, regardless of whether I’m right or wrong on my feelings."
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Pruitt came very close to Sen. Chuck Schumer on Jan. 6, causing Schumer and his security team to flee.
“Every day I enter the beacon of our country, the U.S. Capitol, I relive the memories of that day, and none are as impactful as the moments I saw Mr. Pruitt approaching us with the intent to inflict harm to the Majority Leader,” a member of Schumer’s Capitol Police security team wrote. “It was only due to our teams' preplanning of alternate evacuations procedures and quick actions that this impending meeting did not result in blood shed or serious bodily injury.”
Kelly said it was "extremely troubling" that Pruitt didn't express regret for his actions during media interviews before he pleaded guilty.
“There was nothing patriotic about what happened that day, far from it,” Judge Timothy J. Kelly said. “It was a national disgrace.”
