A Georgia business owner who attacked a police officer during the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Jack Wade Whitton, 34, of Locust Grove, pleaded guilty to several offenses related to his assault on law enforcement during the riot.
Whitton admitted that he attacked a police officer by hitting him with a metal crutch and dragging him into a group of rioters on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace. However, videos of his violent actions proved his claims false. The judge in the case described the footage as “gruesome” and noted that Whitton’s behavior was out of control during the riot.
The court also noted that Whitton’s actions were part of a larger conspiracy that led to the violence on the Lower West Terrace. More than 1,350 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot, and over 850 have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment. Whitton’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the consequences of participating in violent acts during the insurrection.