‘One of the most violent’ Jan. 6 rioters receives a 20-year prison sentence

WASHINGTON — A Donald Trump supporter who stood in front of a gallows and spoke of his desire to hang Democratic politicians before he assaulted numerous police officers during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Friday.

It’s the second-longest sentence handed out in a Jan. 6 case to date.

Prosecutors had sought more than 21 years (262 months) for David Dempsey, saying he “viciously” assaulted law enforcement officers at the lower west tunnel of the Capitol, where some of the worst violence took place that day.

According to prosecutors, Dempsey climbed over fellow rioters "like human scaffolding" and used "his hands, feet, flag poles, crutches, pepper spray, broken pieces of furniture, and anything else he could get his hands on" as weapons against police officers.

"Dempsey was one of the most violent rioters, during one of the most violent stretches of time, at the scene of the most violent confrontations at the Capitol on January 6, 2021," prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.

The 20-year sentence was imposed by Senior U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee who has spoken out about the “preposterous” rhetoric some Republicans have used as they attempt to “rewrite history” about the Jan. 6 attack. Lamberth has warned that “such meritless justifications of criminal activity” from politicians “could presage further danger to our country.”

Echoing his language about the “distortions and outright falsehoods” that Republican politicians have promoted about Jan. 6, Lamberth said he was concerned that Dempsey had “minimized” his conduct that day and tried to come up with non-factual justifications for his behavior. Lamberth called Dempsey’s behavior