Capitol rioter who crushed officer with shield gets 7 years

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Connecticut man who used a stolen riot shield to crush a police officer in a doorframe during the U.S. Capitol insurrection has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his role in one of the most violent episodes of the Jan. 6 attack. The sentence that a U.S. District Court judge imposed on 25-year-old Patrick McCaughey III on Friday was approximately half the length of the prison term that prosecutors had recommended. McCaughey apologized for his actions and said he’s ashamed that he joined the mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.