Jury Finds “Eye-Gouger” Ex-Cop Guilty On All Counts

May 2, 2022 Police, Trump cultists

CNN reports:

A former New York City police officer was convicted Monday of assaulting a Washington, DC, police officer during the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.

Thomas Webster, who claimed he was defending himself when he swung a metal flagpole at police and tackled one to the ground, choking him by his chin strap, was convicted by a jury on all six charges after roughly two hours of deliberations.

The 56-year-old ex-NYPD officer and former Marine faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the assault of DC officer Noah Rathbun. Webster is the fourth January 6 rioter to be convicted by a jury and the first to be convicted by a jury in a police assault case from the insurrection.

The Associated Press reports:



Webster, 56, testified that he was trying to protect himself from a “rogue cop” who punched him in the face. He also accused the Metropolitan Police Department officer, Noah Rathbun, of instigating the confrontation.

Webster drove alone to Washington, D.C., from his home near Goshen, New York, on the eve of the Jan.6 “Stop the Steal” rally. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a U.S. Marine Corps flag on a metal pole when he approached the Capitol, after listening to Trump address thousands of supporters.

Rathbun’s body camera captured Webster shouting profanities and insults before they made any physical contact. Webster said he was attending his first political protest as a civilian and expressing his free speech rights when he yelled at officers behind a row of bike racks.

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