Posted on by Randy Slovacek

January 6 Rioter Gets 50 Months In Prison For Assaulting Police Officer

Thomas F. Sibick - 50 months in prison for assaulting Capitol Police officer Michael Fanone at the violent January 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol building.
(image via Justice Dept)

Thomas F. Sibick, 37, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for assaulting Capitol Police officer Michael Fanone at the violent January 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol building.

Following his prison sentence, Sibick will also serve 36 months of supervised release, and be required to pay $7,500.79 in restitution.

#FuckedAroundFoundOut

From the Justice Department:

Sibick pleaded guilty to one felony count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and one misdemeanor count of theft on March 3, 2023.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Sibick made his way illegally onto the ground of the U.S. Capitol and into the mob gathered on the West Plaza. Here, Sibick posted a “selfie” video on Instagram depicting himself in the mob.

The video pans the crowd with the caption, “Wildest experience of my life!!” Sibick then filmed himself screaming, “Just got tear-gassed, but we’re going, baby, we’re going! We’re pushing forward now!

Related: Former MMA Fighter Gets 41 Months In Prison for Jan. 6 Violence

Court documents say that a group of United States Capitol Police (USCP) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers had formed a police line at one of the two glass doorways on the Lower West Terrace that lead inside the Capitol to prevent a mob of rioters from entering.

At approximately 3:08 p.m., Sibick joined a crowd of rioters in this area who were pushing against the police line, entered the tunnel, and made his way to the front of the mob. Sibick then left the crowd only to return a short while later.

Donald Trump calls the January 6 invasion of the Capitol building a "beautiful time" with "loving people"
(screen capture via YouTube)

At this time, court documents say that around 3:15 p.m., an MPD officer at the front of the police line was pulled into the crowd of rioters. Once the officer was in the mob, various members of the crowd began to assault the officer, including by tasing, kicking, punching, grabbing, and throwing objects.

The officer also had his limbs restrained while a rioter attempted to remove the officer’s service weapon from the holster. Court documents say that a member of the mob threatened to take the officer’s gun and kill the officer.

While the officer was attacked, body-worn camera footage shows Sibick reaching toward the officer and forcibly removing the officer’s badge and radio. Later, court documents say that Sibick posed for a picture of himself holding and pointing to a USCP riot shield.

Sibick returned the stolen badge to federal authorities after having taken it home with him and buried it in his backyard in Buffalo. The radio was never recovered.