A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Jan. 6 rioter who carried a Confederate flag, and was among the first people to breach the U.S. Capitol building, to three years in prison.
Kevin Seefried of Delaware was part of a mob on the Senate side of the Capitol building and was the first to confront Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who successfully diverted the attackers away from senators nearby.
Goodman recalled Seefried threatening him and jabbing at him with his flag pole.
Members of the mob shouted threats at Goodman, prosecutors said, including: “He’s one person. We’re thousands.”
A supporter of US President Donald Trump carries a Confederate flag as he protestS in the US Capitol Rotunda, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, DC.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden said this racially charged encounter was a negative factor in his sentencing determination for Seefried.
Seefried’s son, Hunter, is currently serving a two-year sentence for storming the Capitol with his father.
A court previously determined that while Hunter was still liable, his father influenced him in ultimately breaking the law.
Holding his hands behind his back, Seefried delivered a tearful apology to the judge, saying he was “deeply sorry” for his actions and particularly to the officers involved.
McFadden called Seefried’s conduct “deeply troubling” and disagreed with arguments from the defense that Seefried’s lack of mental acuity should weigh favorably in his sentencing.
