Kentucky rioter gets 14 years for attacking police during Jan. 6 insurrection

A Kentucky man was just handed down the harshest-yet sentence among those who have been charged in connection with the insurrection attempt in January 2021, according to reports.

Peter Schwartz, who already had a history of criminal activity prior to the insurrection, reportedly threw a chair at officers and sprayed them with pepper spray as he and his then-wife stormed the Capitol.

Lawyers for Schwartz sought a sentence of four years and six months, arguing that his actions were based on a “misunderstanding” of what happened in the 2020 election, but U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta felt that 14 years was appropriate, Associated Press reports.

Mehta said Schwartz was a “soldier against democracy” who participated in “the kind of mayhem, chaos that had never been seen in the country’s history,” AP says.

The outlet added some additional quotes from Mehta to Schwartz:

“You are not a political prisoner,” the judge told him, the report says. “You’re not somebody who is standing up against injustice or fighting against an autocratic regime.”

As for Schwartz, he quickly addressed the judge prior to hearing the sentence, saying, “I do sincerely regret the damage that Jan. 6 has caused to so many people and their lives.”