A Kentucky man who used pepper spray against law enforcement officers and carried a Confederate flag while storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to over two years in prison.
Isreal James Easterday, 23, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and 500 hours of community service by Chief Judge James Boasberg. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Easterday traveled from Kentucky to Washington, D.C., to join the mob that stormed the Capitol building. He was among the group of rioters outside the East Rotunda doors of the Capitol building.
While a U.S. Capitol Police officer was dealing with one rioter, Easterday pepper sprayed that officer in the face, causing the officer to collapse and lose consciousness. When the officer regained consciousness, he still suffered from vision problems for hours after the incident. Easterday later used a second can of pepper spray to attack another small group of officers.
Easterday was arrested on December 8, 2022, in Miami. During the sentencing hearing, Boasberg said he gave Easterday a lesser sentence than what prosecutors recommended due to his young age. Easterday apologized to the officers who were injured and said he is “deeply ashamed” of himself for his actions.
More than 1,300 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for actions related to the January 6 insurrection. This includes nearly 500 who were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
