WASHINGTON — A Jan. 6 rioter dubbed “Sedition Panda” for the dress head he wore when he stormed the Capitol has been convicted on each and every of the 8 fees he confronted, together with assaulting a police officer.
Jesse James Rumson used to be convicted Friday of assaulting Prince George’s County Cpl. Scott Ainsworth, a lifelong Republican who testified in regards to the Jan. 6 rebel all over Rumson’s trial remaining week.
Ainsworth testified that it used to be tricky to come back to grips with being attacked by way of participants of his personal birthday celebration. “I’m a Republican, these are my fellow Republicans,” he stated, including that some of the Republicans in his lifestyles now need not anything to do with him as a result of of his provider on Jan. 6, 2021.
“Are you crazy?” Ainsworth recalled considering of the ones within the GOP who improve what came about on Jan. 6. “This was stupid, it was not necessary.”
Rumson opted for a bench trial sooner than U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Donald Trump appointee who has been one of probably the most lenient judges for Jan. 6 defendants. Nichols is answerable for rejecting the obstruction of an respectable continuing rate that has been used in opposition to loads of Jan. 6 rioters, a topic which is now pending sooner than the Supreme Court.
Nichols stated Friday that the proof confirmed Rumson “repeatedly rushing towards the police” sooner than Rumson assaulted Ainsworth, announcing the proof of the attack used to be “crystal clear” and calling some of the arguments from Rumson and his legal professional “absurd.” Rumson claimed all over his testimony that he did not understand the Capitol construction used to be limited till he used to be inside of, despite the fact that proof confirmed he jumped over a railing and joined the mob surging inside of seconds after a window on the door used to be smashed out by way of cane-wielding Jan. 6 rioter William Bierbrodt, who has since died. Rumson ended up in handcuffs within the Capitol and misplaced his panda head and backpack, however used to be free of his handcuffs by way of different participants of the mob as soon as he were given outdoor.
While outdoor the construction, Rumson yelled “get a ram!” as rioters smashed a window, video proof at trial confirmed; he claimed at trial he “could not fathom” announcing that. He admitted that he made touch with Ainworth’s helmet however claimed it used to be unintentional. He presented no logical cause of why he rushed at police over and over.
Nichols stated the proof confirmed that Rumson listened to everything of former President Trump’s speech that morning sooner than heading to the Capitol and located that the proof confirmed Rumson witnessed chaos and conflicts between rioters and police sooner than he made his approach as much as the higher west terrace and, sooner or later, within the construction.
Nichols stated there might be no affordable doubt that Rumson knew he wasn’t allowed within the Capitol, particularly after he used to be positioned in handcuffs and famous that he persisted to stick on the grounds for 90 mins after he used to be free of {the handcuffs}, sooner than his attack on Ainsworth.
Nichols discovered that Rumson “grasped and lifted up” Ainsworth’s masks and that Rumson “grasped the face shield and pushed it back and up,” calling Rumson’s testimony on the stand “entirely inconsistent with the video and testimony evidence before me.” Rumson’s testimony used to be “impossible to reconcile” with the proof within the case, Nichols stated.
“His conduct at the Capitol was no accident,” Nichols stated.
Nichols set Rumson’s sentencing for Sept. 5 at 11 a.m. and let “Sedition Panda” stay unfastened after the federal government declined to transport for post-conviction captivity.
