David Joseph Gietzen, a fugitive convicted of assaulting police officers during the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced on Tuesday to six years in prison. The 31-year-old from Sanford, North Carolina, struck an officer with a pole during the mob’s assault on the Capitol.
In a statement before his sentencing, Gietzen claimed that he intended to harm no one that day. However, he expressed no regret or remorse for his actions, maintaining his belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump.
Gietzen’s lack of remorse was noted by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who presided over his trial and sentencing hearing. Judge Nichols stated that Gietzen remained unapologetic about his conduct and clung to his baseless beliefs that the election had been illegitimate.
Last August, a jury convicted Gietzen on eight counts, including assault and civil disorder charges. After his conviction, Gietzen disregarded a court order to report to prison on October 20, 2023, and missed several hearings for his case. He was eventually arrested at his mother’s home in North Carolina on December 12, 2023.
Defense attorney Ira Knight argued that Gietzen was not on the run but had simply remained at home waiting to be picked up. Prosecutors, however, characterized Gietzen’s actions as a pattern of flouting rules and laws, acting with disregard for the consequences.
Gietzen, who earned bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering and electrical engineering from North Carolina State University, worked as a computer programming engineer before his involvement in the Capitol riot. Prosecutors recommended a prison term of 10 years and one month, highlighting his intelligence and ability to achieve when he sets his mind to it.
Defense attorneys requested a four-year prison sentence, arguing that Gietzen is no longer interested in being involved with the political process and poses no threat to the public. Gietzen traveled to Washington, D.C., with his brother from their home in North Carolina and attended Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on January 6 before marching to the Capitol.
During the riot, Gietzen was part of the mob that overwhelmed police lines on the Capitol’s West Plaza. He shoved an officer, grabbed another officer’s gas mask, and struck an officer with a pole. Prosecutors stated that Gietzen’s violence stemmed from a lack of respect for law enforcement and the democratic process and was intended to interfere with the certification of the election.
Gietzen later bragged about his participation in the riot in messages to friends and relatives, saying he had “never been prouder to be an American.” Over 1,350 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes, with over 800 sentenced. Approximately two-thirds of those sentenced have received terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years.
