Former police chief sentenced to 11 years for role in Capitol attack

CALIFORNIA: A former California police chief, who was armed with a hatchet during the January 6 Capitol attack and had previously advocated for the execution of perceived political adversaries, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, CNN reported. Alan Hostetter, 59, received the 135-month sentence on Thursday (local time) from US District Judge Royce C Lamberth for his role in the Capitol riot.

In July, Hostetter was found guilty on multiple charges, including conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, as reported by CNN.

Before the events at the Capitol, the retired La Habra police chief actively promoted various conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 presidential election, according to a statement from the Justice Department. Hostetter co-sponsored a pro-Trump rally on January 5, the day before the Capitol riot, where he delivered speeches filled with violent rhetoric in Washington, DC.

The following day, he arrived at the Capitol equipped with tactical gear, a helmet, hatches, knives, stun batons, pepper spray, and other weaponry, the Justice Department's statement added, according to CNN. Upon reaching the Capitol, Hostetter joined fellow members of the "DC Brigade" before participating in the "Stop the Steal" rally.

Subsequently, he engaged with other rioters in pushing through law enforcement. Hostetter was apprehended on June 10, 2021, in California by the FBI. In a related development, four co-defendants were convicted in November for conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, while a fifth co-defendant, Russell Taylor, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, according to the release, CNN reported.