A Maryland police officer convicted of throwing smoke bombs at cops guarding the United States Capitol during the January 6 riots will serve a year and a half in prison.
Justin Lee, 25, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, a Donald Trump appointee, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office. McFadden convicted Lee in a bench trial of assaulting officers, trespassing, and disorderly conduct.
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According to the Washington Post, McFadden described Lee’s actions as “cowardly,” but noted that his “heroic” actions on July 22, 2023, when he shot and killed an armed 19-year-old stabbing suspect at a shopping center, played a significant role in his sentence.
“You know better than most people how wrong assaults on police officers are,” McFadden, a former cop, told the Post.
As reported in August, Lee claimed he was “just trying to make a statement” about police brutality after witnessing officers use force against other rioters that day, an argument McFadden dismissed.
“No police officer should have to endure these attacks and provocations,” McFadden told The Associated Press.
Lee was among the large crowd of Trump supporters at the Capitol that day, obstructing the certification of the Electoral College vote. He was captured on surveillance video wearing a gaiter-style Maryland flag face covering and a military-style medical bag with two side pouches.
According to court documents, Lee ignited and threw a smoke bomb into the tunnel entrance on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace, where a mob of rioters attacked an outnumbered group of police officers. According to court documents, the device struck a Metropolitan Police Officer’s shield, filling the area with smoke.
Lee was hired as a Montgomery County Police Officer after taking part in the insurrection, but he was suspended without pay in October 2023 after being arrested for his role in the Jan. 6 riot.
His application for the position was submitted in July 2021, about six months after the events of January 6, and he was hired by the department on January 31, 2022, the agency said.
Lee was placed on administrative leave while working as a police officer after being involved in the shooting death of a man armed with a knife. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office did not file charges against Lee in the shooting.
While Lee was on administrative leave, the police department learned he was the subject of an FBI investigation in July 2023.
“The Montgomery County Police Department conducts a thorough background investigation as part of its standard hiring process to ensure the suitability of candidates for employment,” according to the news release. “Lee’s involvement in the January 6 insurrection was not discovered during this process, as he was not identified by the Justice Department in connection with the event.”
The Washington Post, citing police, reported that he was fired last month.
