A man who pepper-sprayed police officer Brian Sicknick during the January 6 Capitol riot was sentenced Friday to almost seven years in prison.
“I don’t know what got into you,” federal judge Thomas Hogan said as he handed down the punishment of 80 months’ imprisonment to protester Julian Khater. “Somehow you got determined to push your way through the crowd.” The judge also fined Khater $10,000.
Khater pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting law enforcement with a dangerous weapon. He admitted to spraying Sicknick, who died later of natural causes, as well as U.S. Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards, with pepper spray. Sicknick endured strokes after standing patrol during the January 6 riot. A medical examiner concluded that Sicknick experienced “acute brainstem and cerebellar infarcts due to acute basilar artery thrombosis.” Ultimately, the pepper-spraying was not determined to be the direct cause of Sicknick’s death.
Khater attended former president Donald Trump’s rally near the White House before he and co-defendant George Tanios headed to the Capitol, according to court documents and his plea agreement, CBS News reported. The defense argued that Khater and his friend did not intend to storm the Capitol when they arrived at the event. Khater did not enter the Capitol building as the chaos unfolded.
“Surveillance video shows Khater reaching inside Tanios’ backpack and retrieving one of the canisters of chemical spray they had brought to Washington,” a government pre-sentencing memo obtained by CBS read. “Khater’s attack, in conjunction with attacks from hundreds of other rioters, resulted in the collapse of the police line. Khater’s first victim was United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.”
The government accused Khater of erupting into an irrational, rage-fueled charge and asked the judge to sentence him to 90 months in prison.
In his defense, Khater’s lawyers cited his mental-health problems, namely anxiety, and unfavorable treatment in jail, where he has spent almost two years since his arrest in March 2021.
“It’s not in my nature. It’s not who I am,” Khater told Hogan before he received his sentence. Asking the judge for a more lenient penalty, Khater said he feels “genuine remorse” for his conduct.