John George Todd III, a military veteran, was sentenced to five years in prison for injuring a police officer’s hand during the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Todd, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell sentenced him. The judge criticized Todd for not showing any remorse for his actions, stating that his behavior damaged the country’s democratic institutions. Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of 12 years and seven months for Todd, who traveled from Missouri to attend then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C.
After entering the Capitol, Todd engaged in violent behavior, repeatedly pushing against officers inside the Rotunda, ignoring commands to leave, and screaming profanities at police. He was carrying a fiberglass pole attached to a flag, and when a Metropolitan Police Department officer tried to grab it from him, Todd and the officer wrestled for control of the pole, resulting in the officer’s hand being cut. The officer, Noah Rathbun, required seven stitches and missed nine days of work. Todd argued that the officer’s injuries were self-inflicted. Another rioter, retired New York Police Department officer Thomas Webster, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for attacking Rathbun outside the Capitol earlier that day.
Todd has been jailed since a jury convicted him of six counts, including obstruction of the joint session of Congress on January 6. The judge described the attack on the Capitol as a dangerous disruption of the peaceful transition to a new presidential administration. Todd was initially charged with misdemeanors but was indicted on felony charges after video evidence showed him assaulting Officer Rathbun. Despite being a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, Todd repeatedly violated the terms of his pretrial release, moving from Missouri to South Carolina. His attorneys argued that Todd needs mental health treatment, not incarceration, as it would exacerbate his health and mental health problems. Todd served in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2013 and received an “other than honorable” discharge from the military due to his alcohol abuse.
The judge’s sentencing of Todd sends a message about the importance of upholding democratic values and the rule of law, especially as the country approaches another contentious election year. More than 100 police officers were injured during the Capitol riot, and over 1,400 people have been charged with related federal crimes. Nearly 900 individuals have been sentenced, with two-thirds of them receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years. The sentencing of individuals involved in the January 6 riot serves as a reminder of the consequences of attacking the democratic institutions of the United States and the need to uphold the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
