An Army veteran from Louisiana who served time for killing an unarmed Iraqi man while overseas will be sentenced to prison for assaulting Capitol police on January 6.
U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, sentenced Edward Richmond Jr., 40, to 51 months — or more than four years — in prison on Monday, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office.
Richmond pleaded guilty in August to assaulting officers with a lethal or dangerous weapon.
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According to prosecutors’ sentencing memo, Richmond attacked police officers at the mouth of the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, which was the scene of some of the most violent rioting that day. He remained at the forefront of the mob against officers in the Tunnel for nearly two hours, dressed in full tactical gear. He hit officers with a baton while yelling, “We’ll break you motherf—-!”
He also took a police helmet and shield from officers and distributed them to the mob. He also threw a 6-foot wooden board into the tunnel to assist rioters in overwhelming injured, bloodied, and exhausted police officers, who stood shoulder to shoulder, using their body weight to repel the onslaught. Richmond also entered the crowd with furniture stolen from the Capitol through a broken window.
The Army veteran was not deterred by his three-year court martial in 2004 for shooting a handcuffed Iraqi cow herder in the head with a rifle during a tour in Tikrit, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said he had a loaded AR-15 assault rifle in his home when he was arrested on January 6, 2024.
“The sentence now must reflect those concerning choices, as well as his violent conduct on January 6, 2021,” said the attorney general.
Richmond’s lawyers stated in his sentencing memo that he was present that day to provide security for a group of people, but he has demonstrated “super” acceptance of responsibility.
“Between the events of January 6, 2021, and the day of his arrest, Mr. Richmond led a productive life working as a solar panel technician and raising his son by himself,” according to the report. “He deserves a downward variant sentence.”
Prosecutors said Richmond traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of a “security team” hired to accompany nine people attending pro-Trump rallies that day, as Congress was certifying the winner of the 2020 presidential election before he marched on the Capitol and engaged cops. While at the mouth of the tunnel, he attacked officers with a metal baton, striking them several times.
He was arrested on January 22, 2024, but was not immediately detained. Government attorneys filed an emergency motion for him to be remanded, claiming that he has a history of violence and “may snap again” if not detained. The judge granted the government’s request and ordered Richmond’s detention.
Politico reports that the judge described it as a close call. The deciding factor was reportedly the AR-15, which he had been prohibited from owning since his manslaughter conviction.
Richmond was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2004 for a shooting death in Iraq. A military panel determined that Richmond shot Muhamad Husain Kadir in the head while he was being detained by soldiers during a suspected insurgent roundup.
Richmond testified at his trial that he had no idea the man was handcuffed and assumed he was about to attack a soldier, according to The Associated Press.
He was initially charged with unpremeditated murder, which could result in a life sentence, but the panel reduced the charge to voluntary manslaughter.
Richmond was dishonorably discharged and sentenced to three years of military prison.
